Father Figure
by Torenza
Summary: COMPLETE Kagome’s world turns upside down when her mother brings a new man into the home – her ‘surprise’ fiancé. But Kagome feels far from neglected as she finds her place at home threatened, and her double life in the past jeopardised.
1. Holiday Break

AN: Started a new story... but it won't be an incredibly long one. Just a break from writing AU's really ^_^ Hope you enjoy!  
  
(and I haven't disappeared off the face of the earth and I haven't forgotten about my other fics - the last chapters of Soul Exchange and 28 Days are nearly done (just taking a bit longer than usual to finish))  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Father Figure  
  
Holiday Break  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"One... two... three..." Kagome set her little metal shoe down and sighed while glowering at the Monopoly board. "Oh bugger..."  
  
"Yes!" Inuyasha crowed with delight. "I can't believe you landed on May Street again! That'll be thirty thousand 'yen' please."  
  
Kagome grumbled under her breath as she leafed out the fake money bills and slapped them into Inuyasha's eagerly awaiting hand. "There. You happy? Now I'm bankrupt."  
  
"Then you just lost the game." Inuyasha happily chuckled as he sorted out his payment into separate piles. By now he owned most of the money and properties that had come in the board game.  
  
"Fine... I just let you win..." Kagome folded her arms with a huff.  
  
Sango mirrored Kagome's action. "Great... now who'll bail me out of prison?"  
  
Miroku shuffled closer. "Oh come on Sango, you know you like it here with me. You know... you and me... in this small cell together..."  
  
Sango stared at him. "You do realise there is actually NO cell whatsoever?"  
  
Miroku shrugged and went back to passing his one remaining bill between his hands. "In that case I'm out..."  
  
"Me too." Sango sighed. "I don't have any chance of getting out of prison on my income... unless..."  
  
She gave Inuyasha a sweet look. He looked up from counting his bills and snorted. "Dream on."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "That's it. I quit the game."  
  
Kagome looked on in disbelief. "I can't believe you won again." She told Inuyasha with a shake of the head. "You don't even know what Income tax is!"  
  
"Well I didn't this morning." He grinned at her. "Damn, I could probably go to your time right now and work my way into business executive position before the day was over."  
  
"What's a Business Executioner?" Shippo questioned Kagome.  
  
"I'm not... entirely sure..." Kagome stared at Inuyasha hard. It was beginning to worry her about Inuyasha's ability to learn so fast.  
  
"Oh that's the easy part - the hard part is calculating the tax that you have to pay at the end of every financial year - which you should probably go to a self-assessment tax company that could calculate it for you. And you know a great way to make money with no work?" he asked Kagome.  
  
"Steal?" she guessed.  
  
"No. Stick it in the bank and wait for interest - but then you have to watch out for the interest rates falling and rising, that can be a tricky business." He nodded knowledgeably. "A great way would be if you got stuck in jail and you put ALL your money into a current account, I hear those get the best interest rates. So by the time you come out again your money would have double at least."  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome gave him a peculiar look. "You didn't just learn that from monopoly."  
  
"Nah... I was talking with your Grandfather a few days ago." Inuyasha paused as he put his dog piece back in the box. "Or more like he was talking AT me..."  
  
Shippo quietly made a crazy gesture with his fingers beside his ear. He quickly changed to scratching his neck when Inuyasha glanced down at him in annoyance.  
  
Well... since Inuyasha seemed to be in an enlightened, if not pleasant mood, Kagome made her move. "Inuyasha... can I ask a huge favour...?"  
  
"Depends..." he said carefully, obviously not trusting the tone of her voice.  
  
Sango and Miroku both got their cue with a short look from Kagome and headed back inside Kaede's hut with Shippo, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha on the porch.  
  
"Well... here's the thing..." Kagome twiddled her fingers on her lap. "I have to go back to my time for slightly longer than usual."  
  
"How long?"  
  
At least he was considering, which encouraged Kagome slightly. "Um... four or five days. It's half term break, so we get a two week holiday - and I swear I'll spend the rest of the holiday here, but I have to stay in my time for a couple of days."  
  
"Well... that's not so strange." Inuyasha shrugged. "As long as I can check up on you and make sure you're actually doing what you say you're-"  
  
"That's the problem." Kagome intercepted him quickly. "You won't be able to check up on me daily... or drag me back."  
  
Inuyasha sat up straighter all of a sudden, an angry frown gracing his expression. "Why not?"  
  
"I'm going to visit my dad on the other side of Tokyo." Kagome said in a gush. "Please don't make this difficult Inuyasha - I don't get to see my dad a lot these days - the last time I saw him was a year ago! It's the first holiday he's getting as well and if I miss my chance to see him then I have to wait another whole year until the next time I can see him."  
  
She looked up at Inuyasha pleadingly, noticing he had a strange expression on his face. Half a frown, and half confused. "You have a dad?"  
  
"Yeah... he's divorced from my mother, he moved out when I was six." Kagome said quietly. "What, did you think I never had a father?"  
  
"Never really thought about it." He answered. Though it was fairly logical to assume human Mrs Higurashi did NOT reproduce asexually.  
  
Kagome lapsed into silence, waiting for him to shoot her request down in flames. Surprisingly, he said nothing. "So... can I go?"  
  
Inuyasha glanced across at her with a vague 'I don't really care' kind of shrug and cock of the head. "Sure. Whatever."  
  
"Thanks Inuyasha." Kagome smiled with a flush of relief. She'd expected something short of a brawl and verbal gunfire. This was a nice change... though she had to wonder why it had been so easy this time.  
  
"It's not fair is it?"  
  
Inuyasha's comment brought her out of her thoughts. "Sorry?"  
  
"It's not fair growing up without a father." He flashed her a brief, fake smile. "You gotta make the most of whatever you have given to you."  
  
Kagome watched him with surprise as he suddenly stood up and went back inside. For a moment she just sat contemplating what he'd said... until she looked around and realised if she wanted to make it back to her own time in time (no pun intended there) then she'd have to start packing straight away.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hey, Inuyasha?" Shippo yawned that evening as the others got ready for bed. "Where the heck did Kagome go? Did you scare her off again?"  
  
"Kagome's never been scared off by me ever." Inuyasha snapped back and pushed Shippo off his chest - and effectively - out of the tree.  
  
Shippo landed on his head with an indignant squeak. He righted himself after a few moments and glared up at the hanyou. "Bull. You scare her off all the time."  
  
Inuyasha snorted and turned onto his side on the branch. "Kagome won't get scared by anything around here. She does have a life through the well you know. And a family."  
  
Shippo pulled a face at Inuyasha as he righted himself after his fall. "Well done Inuyasha. That's the first time you've admitted that. I think a blue rose just sprouted under your branch."  
  
Inuyasha peaked down under his tree limb before growling at Shippo in annoyance. "There's no rose!"  
  
Shippo stared at him. "Of course there's no rose! It's just an expression!"  
  
"I knew that! Leave me alone - I want to sleep already!" Inuyasha snapped.  
  
Sango banged on the hut wall from inside. "Guys! Keep it down out there!"  
  
Inuyasha twisted again so Shippo was out of his line of sight, and so he wouldn't be tempted to throttle the little parasite.  
  
"Night, Inuyasha." Shippo called up before dashing off inside.  
  
Inuyasha didn't return the farewell as he grouchily glared straight ahead... off into the night. He had a killer of a week ahead of him... a whole week without seeing Kagome's face... or having her presence nearby to... to...  
  
He shifted positions, trying to get comfortable, but it didn't seem to be working. He growled in faint annoyance as he tried again and ended up lolling on his stomach, arms and legs dangling off the branch... no... that wasn't particularly comfortable either... better change.  
  
No Kagome... no ramen... no shard hunting... no demons to take his frustration out on...  
  
"God... I have no life..." He muttered to himself. Well... no life without Kagome to make things fresh and spontaneous for him. Life was pointless without a complete soul... and every time Kagome left him... disappeared from existence like she was dead and gone... she took a piece of him with her.  
  
Not in the literal sense of course...  
  
Inuyasha sighed and rolled over on his branch. For once his mind was preoccupied and he failed to judge how wide the branch was... and so slipped off with a muffled curse and landed with a thud on his back.  
  
He blinked for a moment, looking up at the tree in bemusement before rolling his eyes. Oh yeah... dogs weren't made to climb trees...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"How many channels do you get?!" Kagome gaped at the television screen as she rapidly flicked through the stations, barely spending enough time to take in all the programs and advertisements. Not that what she was looking at was an actual average TV screen... more like a large home cinema sized plasma screen, complete with DVD player and digital satellite hook ups.  
  
"Over five hundred... I lost count." Mr Higurashi smiled as his daughter took such simple delight in the remote control.  
  
"This is... wow... this is..." Kagome struggled for words as she forced herself to put the flicker down and look around her father's apartment... it was more like a penthouse actually. "This is different from the cockroach infested stink hole Mom said you lived in..."  
  
"Mari really has helped straighten me out." He nodded, idly resting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Mari?" Kagome glanced at him quizzically.  
  
"New girlfriend... fiancée... I hope you don't mind."  
  
Kagome blinked in surprise before spluttering quickly. "No - not at all! I mean - it's been years - you're allowed to move on!" she looked around the room. "She helped you get all this?"  
  
"She pointed me out in the direction of a psychology degree... now I'm a practising psychiatrist..." he grinned at her. "She helped me get the apartment and even helped furnish it with me. She's great."  
  
"That's nice." Kagome was genuinely glad for him and gave him a smile. "Does she live here too?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"I asked her to take a week out, I thought you might be uncomfortable..." he told her hesitantly.  
  
"No I wouldn't!" Kagome jumped to face him quickly with an eager smile. "I'd love to meet her - if she's done so much good in your life how could I find her uncomfortable? As long as she hasn't got two heads then I'm ok with her living here while I visit."  
  
"And if she does have two heads?" her father asked in a serious tone.  
  
"Don't joke about that!" she laughed... but it was true, she'd met plenty of women with two heads... the last thing she needed was her father dating one of them.  
  
This would be a nice holiday, she thought. No worries, no school, no shard hunting and no demons to run away from. And most of all, no Inuyasha to make her nervous and perspire whenever he demanded the impossible of her. She wasn't like Sango and Miroku... she hadn't been living in the feudal age all her life... she hadn't been fighting demons all her life...  
  
Inuyasha was demanding...  
  
So this was a break. She'd be able to put her feet up, live like a rich slob and watch anything from reality shows about ant colonies to some English cockney soap drama thing. She'd get to spend time with her father... who had really changed from the unemployed, flat broke writer he'd been...  
  
Now he was writing books on psychology... and SELLING them!  
  
Wait till her friends heard about this!  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"The place looks great - Mari's got such taste!" Kagome gushed over the phone to her mother. "The kitchen has a Mediterranean theme and the living areas have Indian and African colours and art - it's amazing - you should really come up and visit some time."  
  
"So you like it there?" she heard her mother chuckle. "I may have to fight tooth and nail to drag you back home."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be coming back soon." Kagome grinned. "This is like a real holiday! And Mari is SO nice... have you met her?"  
  
"No... can't say I have..." her mother's tone was slightly odd... and Kagome heard it at once and mentally slapped herself. Well done Kagome! Rubbing it in her mother's face that Dad had a new fiancée and was earning more money in a week than her mother earned in six months.  
  
"Mom... I..." she struggled to find something to say.  
  
"It's ok, Kagome - I just didn't realise your father was being open with you about his relationships." Mrs Higurashi sounded surprised.  
  
"Well... he is..." Kagome frowned slightly. "Did you know?"  
  
"Yes... but we agreed to keep it quiet from you and Souta..." she heard her mother sigh. "He went against our deal."  
  
"Well... I don't mind if he's dating someone new. She's nice. She'll be a good step mother to have around when we need her in an emergency." Kagome told her.  
  
"Well since we're being all open about this I better-" she broke off as Kagome heard her Grandfather's muffled talking in the background. "Oh not again... I've got to go Kagome, I'll see you on Friday!"  
  
"Yeah - bye!" Kagome offered as well and hung up. She stood over the phone in the lounge for a while, thinking about what her mother had been about to say. Oh well... she could just ask her later on if she remembered.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Twenty six?" Shippo asked flatly.  
  
"No..." Inuyasha chucked another stone at the river and watched it skip a couple of times before sinking.  
  
"Eighteen?"  
  
"No." Inuyasha hunted around his feet for another smooth pebble to throw.  
  
"Uh..." Shippo peered at Inuyasha closely. "One?"  
  
"Bingo!" Inuyasha threw another stone and watched it skip across the entire river. "Ok - now I'm thinking of an animal-"  
  
"Bird." Shippo said without hesitation.  
  
"Ok... that was lucky..." Inuyasha scowled. "What type of bird?"  
  
"A phoenix?" Shippo guessed.  
  
Inuyasha turned to him abruptly. "What are you - half telepath?"  
  
"No... it's just that you're so predictable. We play this game every time she leaves and you always think of the same numbers and animals." Shippo rolled his eyes and flopped onto his back. "I'm bored!"  
  
Inuyasha clenched his fists and went back to skipping rocks.  
  
"Look at those two..." Sango nodded to Miroku, distracting him from whatever he'd been about to do with his hand involving her behind. "It's like the world ends when Kagome goes home for longer than an hour."  
  
"Well... to them... it does." Miroku shrugged lightly. "Poor sods..."  
  
Sango sighed and went back to maintaining Hiraikotsu. Actually... it did get kinda dull when Kagome wasn't around...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
4 Days Later...  
  
  
  
  
  
"Thanks Mrs Keisuki!" Kagome waved cheerfully as her friend and her mother drove off. Once they were out of sight she turned back with a deep, revitalising sigh.  
  
She was all relaxed now... and she couldn't help the absent smile that caught on her lips as she trotted up the stairs to the shrine. A whole week away from work - and now she was fully ready to get back to it. She'd finished all her homework assignments and the tension was all gone from her body (mostly thanks to Mari who had a special degree in massaging).  
  
Life was a doddle from here on out...  
  
Kagome pushed open the door and set her suitcase and bags down beside the shoe rack. "Hey everyone! I'm home!" she shut the door behind her and started towards the living room where she heard the TV going. "You'll never guess what happened on the way over - there was this dog and an ice creamer cart vendor thing and-"  
  
"If you insist on walking your shoes into the house, at least have the decency to wipe them on the mat?"  
  
Kagome spun around to face the stairs and stared openly at the man who'd stopped halfway down to regard her. A total stranger had just reprimanded her on her own habits in her own home... now THAT was rude. What was more, he'd been totally serious, he hadn't even cracked a smile.  
  
"Who are you?" Kagome asked pointedly.  
  
"Kagome - don't be so rude!" she glanced towards the living room as her mother came towards them. She half held out her arms, expecting to be embraced at once like they usually did when Kagome had been away for a few days, on holiday or in the well, whatever the case.  
  
That's why Kagome was completely stupefied when her mother moved straight past her, heading towards the stairs and the stranger. Kagome self- consciously moved her hands to tucked her hair behind her ears, as though she'd never intended to receive a hug in the first place. She watched as her mother went and gave a short embrace to the man.  
  
Kagome froze... what the hell was going on?  
  
"Kagome - allow me to introduce Denji." Mrs Higurashi said as the man slipped an arm around her shoulder, he now smiled at Kagome like he'd never been rude to her. "He's my fiancé... he'll be staying with us in the shrine from now on."  
  
Kagome glanced between the two of them, a slight worried feeling nagging at her mind. This hadn't been the welcome home she'd been expecting... She looked at Denji a little more closely and made a quick assessment.  
  
He looked nice and friendly now, with a dimpled smile and dark eyes. He was good-looking, even more so than her father perhaps... But that accounted for nothing. First impressions were all that mattered... and he'd not given a very good impression at all.  
  
"That's... nice..." Kagome could only muster a weak smile of congratulations. When in truth... she felt a little queasy...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Well there you go - dedicated to all the girls and boys who want to kill their step fathers and step mothers. Here's to you Cinderella! 


	2. The Way Things Will Be

AN: I probably should go dedicate this fic to a close friend of mine who suffers from evil step mother syndrome. I met the woman and it's unbelievable that her father ever married the cow...  
  
And I noticed a lot of people who reviewed could also relate to evil step fathers and mothers - and sometimes just evil mothers and fathers. I can't really relate to the former (but I can to the latter _)... but you have my sympathies.  
  
Anyway, back with a second chapter, it's not like me to leave things on the shelf to rot away. And I swear I'm making a move on 28 Days... and Where no man has gone before  
  
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Father Figure  
  
The Way Things Will Be  
  
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*  
  
"Do you think he's dead?" Sango asked Miroku as she stepped out of Kaede's hut onto the porch where the monk sat dangling some scrap string for Kirara to taggle at.  
  
Miroku glanced up at the half demon she was referring to, eyeing him critically. Inuyasha was laid flat out on his back under the shade of one of the nearby trees. Shippo was dancing around him singing some rhymes... who really by now should have been pummelled into the ground by the hanyou. "I don't think so... I'd say he's about three hours away from carving that tree into Kagome's look-alike replacement though..."  
  
Sango shifted with concern. "Why don't you check... make sure he hasn't choked himself of something..."  
  
Miroku sighed and set down the string he'd been playing with and took off his sandal. He picked it up and tossed it gently in his palm a moment before flinging it in the general direction of Inuyasha...  
  
"Whatthefuck - MONK!"  
  
The sandal came sailing back and Sango quickly dodged out of the way as it shot past and clonked Miroku on the head. "Thanks for saving me there..."  
  
"No problem." Sango smiled and picked up Kirara to head back inside.  
  
"And you can put a sodding sock in it as well!" Inuyasha yelled, grabbing Shippo and throwing him up into the precarious branches of the tree above.  
  
"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Get me down - you know I don't climb trees!" Shippo yelled at the top of his lungs. "Inuyasha!"  
  
The hanyou rolled his eyes and pushed himself onto his feet to go stomp off somewhere else for some peace. The well would do nicely for some solitude just then...  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
Kagome had never felt more uncomfortable in her own home than she did right then. Actually... she felt like she was a visitor, or a guest... or something that had been caught out of the loop on this one.  
  
The brief introduction to Denji had been... well... out of the blue and like a slap in the face. Kagome was still standing, reeling over the shock in the hallway, still in her shoes. She'd barely walked in the door before this shocking bit of news was thrust into her attention.  
  
Grandpa had to bodily move her into the living room so they could all sit down. Denji and her mother talked with her... actually, they talked AT her. Kagome couldn't find anything intelligent or coherent to say. She just sat with a stumped expression on her face as she tried to absorb all the information that was being thrown at her.  
  
She managed to catch to odd titbit... Denji was a School teacher, teaching maths of all things. He was forty eight... two years older than her mother... and worked out at the gym four times a week for three hours straight each session.  
  
Kagome couldn't remove her gaze from his face. He was watching her with a neutral, slight smile. But every now and then as Mrs Higurashi chattered away happily about him, his smile would disappear and he would be giving her a rather penetrating stare. In some ways, his whole vibe reminded her vaguely of Sesshomaru...  
  
"Well, now that we all know a little more about one another, I'll go make us some tea." Kagome's mother stood and turned to head into the kitchen.  
  
"I'll help you." Denji offered, earning a happy smile from his fiancée.  
  
As soon as they were gone Kagome leapt up like she'd finally been freed of invisible bonds. She grabbed Souta's shoulders and jerked him away from the TV set. "What the heck is going on around here?"  
  
Souta looked around. "You what?"  
  
"Who IS this Denji guy?" Kagome hissed, trying to keep her voice down.  
  
"Haven't you been listening?" Souta rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Kagome, stay with it."  
  
"Aren't you surprised by this?" Kagome stared at him in bewilderment. "Mom suddenly just brings a man home claiming to be her husband-to-be and everyone here is all hunk-dory?!"  
  
"She didn't just 'bring him in' like a stray, Kag." Souta pried her hands off his shirt and went back to watching TV. "She told us about him over dinner, said he was a great guy and that she hoped to let him stay with us."  
  
So it hadn't been smack in his face like it had just been for her... she still felt slightly ill and glanced at her grandfather for some guidance. "When did all this happen?"  
  
"While you were away, Kagome dear." He answered with a plain shrug, obviously not aware of her distress. "He's a very nice fellow, you'll like him when you get to know him."  
  
Kagome still didn't understand what was happening in her house. So she stood up and followed her mother into the kitchen. She really wished she hadn't... "Oh god - I'm sorry!"  
  
Denji and her mother suddenly broke apart from where they had been in a light embrace doing you know what... disgusting really at their age. Kagome could have sworn her mother was blushing like a school girl again.  
  
A rather tense pause followed as Kagome refused to leave. Denji cleared his throat and shot Mrs Higurashi a smile. "I'll just go... make the beds..." he excused himself and walked out.  
  
Kagome turned her gaze to her mother who quickly busied herself with finishing brewing the tea. Kagome narrowed her eyes slightly. "Nice of you to warn me before I got back..."  
  
"Well - it was rather sudden, I'm sorry." Her mother apologised quickly and flippantly. She didn't really mean her words.  
  
"Why haven't you ever talked about him?" Kagome asked, seeing her mother refuse to meet her eyes. "Which room is he staying in? Are you really going to marry him?"  
  
"Yes!" Mrs Higurashi stopped and turned to her daughter with a smile. "Why else would he be living here if it wasn't serious?"  
  
Kagome suddenly got hold of a rather nasty thought. She probably should have kept quiet, but her adrenaline was running a little high and her mouth was moving faster than her brain... like Inuyasha in so many ways. "You're not dating him just because you're jealous that Dad is marrying Mari, are you?"  
  
Her mother set down the china tea cups so hard they chingled together with a bang. "I will not have you say things like that, Kagome! I have been seeing Denji for a very long time, I only kept things to myself because I thought it would upset you!"  
  
"It's upset me more that you suddenly decided to slam it in my face with no warning!" Kagome cried.  
  
"Well what would you have preferred? I marry him in secret and three years later introduce you to your new step father?" Her mother scowled. "Why are you being like this Kagome? I thought I could trust you to be mature about this. You could at least be polite to him - don't think I didn't notice how you stared so rudely at him."  
  
"Well he was staring at me!" Kagome argued.  
  
"Stop behaving like a child Kagome! Souta behaved better than this! Denji is a member of the family now and you should treat him as such! I don't need you making him feel unwelcome!"  
  
Kagome couldn't help but feel that SHE was the one feeling unwelcome. But her mother's words sobered her slightly and she dropped her head. "I'm sorry... it's just really sudden... I didn't expect this..."  
  
"I understand." Her mother said curtly and walked off with the tray of tea, back into the living room.  
  
Kagome slumped into one of the chairs beside the kitchen table and ran her hands through her hair. She was being immature about this. She'd accepted Mari just fine... why not Denji?  
  
Because there was something about the way he looked at her... a mild form of the Sesshomaru gaze. Like he was looking right past her body and seeing her soul... and looking on in contempt at it. That unblinking penetrating glare...  
  
But that was just being stupid! She'd barely met the guy for a few minutes and she was believing he could be the spawn of evil. No... he was a teacher... a maths teacher... he was naturally supposed to have that evil look... but he was probably a really nice guy. Souta seemed to like him well enough.  
  
"Wait..." she suddenly lifted her head, her face lax with sudden realisation. She shoved away from the table and ran into the living room where her real family was sitting down to watch the evening television. "Um - does Denji know?!"  
  
"Know what, dear?" her grandpa asked as he calmly sipped his tea.  
  
"About Inuyasha - the well!" Kagome asked urgently.  
  
The three family members exchanged looks. "We thought it best if you told him. From the horse's mouth as it were." Her mother told her.  
  
Kagome didn't know if that was supposed to be a good or bad thing... She didn't get much of a chance to ponder on that as Denji entered suddenly and took his seat close next to her mother. He looked at Kagome and suddenly smiled. "You're mom tells me you're having trouble with your maths."  
  
Kagome's fists clenched behind her back. she had to force her mouth to open and speak, though she spoke jerkily. "Did she?"  
  
"And since I specialise in maths, we thought maybe I could help tutor you." Denji placed the offer on the table.  
  
She wanted to refuse loudly. She hated maths but she wasn't miserably failing it like other people in her class were. She'd pass the exams with a C, maybe even a B if she put her back into it. She didn't want or need a tutor.  
  
"See? Isn't that nice of Denji." Kagome's mother prompted her after her silent pause. "What do you say?"  
  
Kagome forced a big fake smile on her face and laughed. "That's great - that's perfect. Yep! I'm down with that! Yep, yep, yep!" she toddled of with her fixed smile until she was out of the room and halfway up the stairs. Then the happy expression slipped to agony and she slapped her forehead repeatedly. "Great, great, great, great! Moron!" she muttered angrily under her breath.  
  
"Oh and Kagome!" she stopped when she heard her mother calling her. "Don't go visiting your... friends for a while, ok? I want you to stay home for the holidays!"  
  
Kagome's heart sunk further, if that was at all possible. A whole holiday without seeing Inuyasha and her friends? A whole holiday with a math tutor living in the next room over? This sucked completely...  
  
With a sigh she continued up to her room and shivered as she turned on the light. The heating hadn't been turned on in there and it was particularly cold. The light bulb was without a shade and hung starkly from the ceiling and it all seemed very quiet. Downstairs she could hear the muffled sounds of the television going... and remembered how warm and cosy it had been in there.  
  
But there was no place for her to sit other than floor... just like when she'd been a kid and their father had still been living there. He and her mother had sat on the two-seater couch while grandpa sat on his separate armchair. The kids had sat on the floor before their parents legs like the family usually did in the evening.  
  
But seeing Denji sit in her father's place was too much. Seeing his arm curled around her mother's shoulder like HE was the father of the family had been too much. Kagome didn't want to be a part of his family just yet. She needed to get used to these circumstances... so she needed to sit in her room and think.  
  
She shivered again and looked across at the window. It was open and there was one rather bold muddy footprint on her desk. No doubt belonging to Inuyasha...  
  
Well... it warmed her heart to know he'd visited, even though he'd known she wouldn't be there. What was he trying to achieve by that? Perhaps he was just trying to catch her out... to see if she was at home with one of her human boyfriends. Like she had any in the first place...  
  
Though she didn't want him to visit again... if he bumped into Denji, then what? She didn't want Denji to know about this close family secret yet... she didn't see him as a member of the family yet... but she wanted nothing more than to slip off and go see them all.  
  
For no reason whatsoever, Kagome flopped down onto her bed and began to cry in her cold lonely room. Though she wasn't sure why..  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
"Ok - it's been six and a half days - this is fucking ridiculous!" Inuyasha snapped as he passed alongside the well. Miroku watched him blankly from a nearby log. "What the hell could be taking so long?!"  
  
"She did say she would be gone a while, didn't she?" Miroku pointed out.  
  
"Four to five days she said! Not six! Not six and a half!" Inuyasha stopped and rapidly rapped his fingers against the lip of the well, so much wasted and frustrated energy burned under his skin... and he could get rid of it. There was nothing to do! "I could build the three fucking imperial palaces with the amount of energy I have! I could probably tear Naraku to pieces in one swing!"  
  
"Then by all means, do so." Miroku told him bluntly.  
  
"Can't be bothered..." Inuyasha down on the well side, suddenly feeling that energy leave him.  
  
Miroku sighed and stood up, shifting his weight against his staff. "Of all the things to master in this world, Inuyasha, the one you need to master most would be patience."  
  
"I don't have the time!" he snapped back. "Every precious second is being wasted - Kagome could be here and we could be doing something interesting!"  
  
"Like walking?" Miroku guessed dully.  
  
"Yes! Walking - to Naraku and demons and other things that are capable of blowing up when you hit them." Inuyasha kicked the well angrily, but not hard enough to fell it. Didn't want to block Kagome's way back just yet...  
  
"Only fools rush around, Inuyasha."  
  
"And only morons sit back and watch life and youth just float by, Miroku!" Inuyasha growled. "Kagome's taking too long!"  
  
Miroku frowned lightly. "Maybe something's amiss in her world?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha turned to him sharply.  
  
"Kagome is late from time to time... but..." the young monk sighed. "She usually sticks to her promises like this one. Normally she'd be back by now... I'd say there's something wrong."  
  
Great... now Miroku had him worried. What if a demon like the Noh mask was in Kagome's time again. Inuyasha jumped to the worst case scenario at once. Was Kagome dead?!  
  
Miroku suddenly smiled mildly. "Well I'll be off. I do believe I smell Kaede cooking something tasty."  
  
"Like Shippo..." Inuyasha muttered under his breath, turning his back on the departing monk to crouch beside the well and rest his arms on the edge and his chin on his arms.  
  
He sighed and closed his eyes. No point getting so stressed just yet. She was late... so what? She was late sometimes. Granted, not late by days, but usually by hours. What if something really was wrong...?  
  
Inuyasha decided to give her until sundown... and then he'd go check and make sure everything would was ok. She probably wouldn't be there again... still off on the other side of that huge city with her father...  
  
He wasn't about to hurry her back. And he calmed down to think she was probably spending some nice quality time with her father, she could afford to be late. But she better come back soon or Inuyasha wasn't too secure about maintaining his sanity.  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
"There once was an ugly duckling..." Kagome sung gently under her breath as she chopped up some carrots in an orderly fashion, making sure the little slices were all roughly equal. "And something, something... swan...!"  
  
She finished chopping the carrots and shoved them into the boiling pot of water for cooking. Mechanically, she pulled over a bunch of leaks and set them on the chopping board to cut them as well, like she'd done a thousand times. She hummed slightly to herself as she worked.  
  
"Kagome-chan?"  
  
Her knife slipped and she narrowly avoided slicing her own thumb off. She dropped the handle quickly and spun around to face Denji, a little embarrassed at being caught humming to herself. It annoyed her as well... for the past two days she'd been living in the same house with this man - and he'd already started adding 'chan' to her name. From an outside point of view it make have seemed innocent enough, that Denji had grown fond enough of her to call her that. But Kagome felt he was only calling her this in a condescending fashion... making her seem below him like a little child would be.  
  
She resented that a lot.  
  
But once more she had no real evidence or proof that would make all these claims tangible. It was more likely that it was all in her head.  
  
"What is it Denji?" she asked with a tight-lipped smile, waiting for him to reach for that butcher knife rack beside him and attempt to do her in.  
  
He sighed and smiled placidly, seemingly not noticing her almost hostile air. "You know how we were talking about helping your math tutoring?"  
  
Kagome scowled slightly. They hadn't talked about anything - at least, they'd not really talked much to Kagome to see how she felt about it. "Uh- huh." She opted for the non-committed answer.  
  
"Well I've been looking at you school time table and you appear to have a few exams the first week back - Maths is one of the first I believe." He said casually.  
  
Kagome nodded, until she realised with a start that her time table was in her room - meaning Denji must have gone in there to see it. She felt a little violated all of a sudden. But she shouldn't... lots of people went in her room. Souta, her mother, not so much of Grandpa... definitely a lot of Inuyasha though. Why would Denji make her feel uneasy?  
  
"So I've been talking with you mother and we've decided that it's best if you start having little tutoring sessions with me, an hour a night." He smiled. "What do you say?"  
  
"Every night?" Kagome asked dubiously.  
  
"Until the real exams hit in May." He nodded.  
  
Kagome shifted uneasily. "But..." she wouldn't be at home most of the time in the run up to May. She'd hopefully be in the Sengoku Jidai. She had to go back some point... and Inuyasha wasn't going to be happy about her spending most of her time in her own world.  
  
"Come on, Kagome-chan. If you don't put the effort in, you'll fail." He chided. "You won't get that medical degree if you fail maths."  
  
So he knew about her dream career too? It figured... "I would have though biology was more important." She argued, just to spite him.  
  
"You biology grades have fallen - though it is your best subject so far."  
  
"That's because I get to see things dissected on a regular day to day basis." She said with all seriousness, hoping to unnerve him... it didn't work.  
  
"That's what TV does to kids these days." He shrugged. "We might as well start tonight. Say eight o'clock?"  
  
"It's a date." Kagome nodded with forced cheerfulness. "See you later Denji."  
  
"Oh, and you can start calling me Dad if you'd like." He said before he left.  
  
Kagome nearly buckled like she'd been punched in the gut. She already had a dad... and it would be an insult to start calling some new man she hardly new 'dad' too. She opened her mouth to refuse point blank. She was willing to accept a few things about this sudden change in her home - but actually accepting Denji as a father was over the line.  
  
But then her mother would be angry at her for being rude to Denji. Kagome closed her mouth suddenly as she mentally slapped herself for being stubborn and immature. This man was going to be here for a while... and she was going to have to start accepting the fact that he would be her step father. Why delay the inevitable?  
  
"Ok... dad..." she said jerkily and saw him flash her a brief smile before walking out of the kitchen.  
  
Kagome stood dumbly for a few moments, contemplating on how wrong it felt to call him that. It was like calling Naraku 'sweetheart' - just unnatural! She shivered and turned to pick up her knife with a peeved expression puckering her brow. She began chopping at the leaks angrily, making odd little pieces fly off the counter and over her shoulders.  
  
A new song flashed into her head which she sung through clenched teeth and punctuated with bangs of the knife on the board. "You know sometimes I want to bash in your teeth... daddy... I'm gonna use your tongue as a stamp... I'm gonna rip your heart out..."  
  
Yeah, she was spending too much time around Inuyasha. Now she was beginning to think like him...  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
"Oh come on, Kagome-chan... you must at least know how to solve a quadratic equation." Denji tapped his pencil against the surface of her desk with impatience.  
  
"A what?" She stared at him blankly .  
  
He sighed and pulled the paper towards him and started making quick calculations and talking whilst he did so. Kagome tried to follow at first until she gave up and turned her gaze away from him to various objects around her room, until she finally found herself gazing out the window behind Denji.  
  
Her desk was only made to seat one person, so she'd had to pull it away from the window to allow Denji a place to sit. Now he sat with his back to his window... which perhaps on hind sight, had been a good thing too.  
  
"There - is that clear?" Denji set the pencil down.  
  
"Yeah sure." About as clear as mud. She nodded and pretended she understood everything he was rambling on about.  
  
"Good-" and off he went again about the love of his life - Maths! Kagome gave a quiet little sighed and rested her chin on her upturned palm while her eyes glazed over with boredom and felt like the supreme cretin of all time. How had she been talked into this?  
  
A flicker of red outside her window caught her attention and she snapped to alert at once to dart a look outside, behind Denji. It was unmistakably Inuyasha - balancing easily on the branch, but obscured slightly because it was so dark out there. Kagome couldn't contain her cry or joy and surprise.  
  
"What?" Denji looked up at her with a scowl and saw her looking out the window. He started to turn, intent of seeing what had surprised her.  
  
Kagome shot a frantic glance between the curious Denji and a rather irritated Inuyasha who was mouthing things and pointing to her step father. "Uh, uh - I just remembered my favourite SIT com. is on!" she yelled.  
  
"Huh?" Denji glanced back at her but then turned back to the window suddenly when a muffled thud could be heard. "What was that?"  
  
"Buyo - he was on the branch - stupid cat's too fat to climb trees." Kagome said quickly.  
  
"Ok." He shrugged with a strange expression. He stood up suddenly and put his pen down. "Well our hour's up so you can go watch your show. Later Kagome-chan."  
  
"Bye... dad..." Kagome had to force the words out without sounding like she was choking on them.  
  
He smiled as he shut the door behind him and Kagome glowered. All his smiles were fake... who did he think he was trying to kid?  
  
"Oh!" She suddenly remembered who was waiting outside the window at that moment and ran around the desk to push it open and lean out. "Inuyasha?" she called into the darkness. "You there?"  
  
"Seven fucking days Kagome!" he suddenly shoved his way past her into the room, startling the living day lights out of her. "Do you know how long that is?!"  
  
"A week?" she asked before making a quieting gesture. "Could we keep it down a bit? I don't want everyone downstairs to hear us."  
  
"Seven days - that's a hundred and sixty eight hours you know." He fumed, pacing her room with clenched fists.  
  
"Really?" Kagome blinked in surprise.  
  
"A hundred and sixty eight hours... ten thousand and eight minutes..." he scowled angrily and shot her a poisoned glare. "Six hundred and forty eight thousand fucking seconds!"  
  
And he'd counted every single one.  
  
"Inuyasha..." Kagome cocked her head. "You wanna do my math homework for me?"  
  
"No - this isn't the time for work - we have to get back to work!" he grabbed her arm and started dragging her towards the window.  
  
"Hang on - wait - I can't go yet!" she protested, but it didn't seem to move him. "Inuyasha - wait or I'll say the S word!"  
  
He stopped and dropped her arm to look back at her, clearly confused. "Why are you threatening me? Don't you want to come back?"  
  
Kagome sighed with anguish. "No - I really DO want to go back with you - but I can't right now."  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What's the problem? You said you wanted five days to go visit your dad - you've had your time! You've had extra as well! Now you're coming back home!"  
  
"It's not MY home Inuyasha." She sighed, seeing him narrow his eyes further. She rushed on. "But new problems have come up... and I have to stay here for another week."  
  
"What?!" he yelled.  
  
"SHH!"  
  
"Another six hundred and forty eight thou-"  
  
"Yes!" Kagome hissed. "Keep your voice down!"  
  
"You can't - I won't allow you to skip this much time off!" he grabbed her arm and began hauling her back towards the window.  
  
"Sit!"  
  
He managed to let go of her arm in time so he wouldn't wrench it out of its socket as he smacked into the carpet. Well... it was softer than the concrete slabs outside her window...  
  
"I'm sorry Inuyasha..." she knelt down beside him. "But I can't go back with you just yet."  
  
Inuyasha didn't move from his sprawled position, but he did move his hands, to rap his fingers angrily on the floor beside her knee. Kagome bit her lip and waited for him to say something. After a moment he lifted his head as the effects of the spell wore off and gave her a penetrating stare. "Who was that guy who was sitting in that chair over there?"  
  
He jerked his chin in the direction of her desk and she darted a glance at Denji's chair before looking back at Inuyasha. "Um... that was Denji... he's... he's... my dad..."  
  
"You're lying." Inuyasha snapped rather angrily. "If he was your father then he would smell like you - it's a biological fact that girls inherit their smell from their fathers."  
  
"What?" Kagome stared at him.  
  
"It's to avoid incest..." Inuyasha berated her. "So men won't accidentally... you know... with people that smell like them... - anyway the point is he's not your father!"  
  
"You think?" Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"Your father must smell a whole lot better than that guy, that's for sure." He pushed his way to his feet while Kagome tried to figure out the meaning of his words. Nah... he couldn't really mean she smelled nice... slip of the tongue.  
  
"Denji isn't my real father. He's my step father." Kagome explained.  
  
"Oh..." Inuyasha looked slightly relieved. "I thought he was too old to be your boyfriend."  
  
"Inuyasha - with the amount of time I spend around you, I don't have enough time to find other boys to be my friends." She sighed. "And the reason why I can't go with you is because of Denji. I have to stay here for a while because of him."  
  
Inuyasha scowled at her before sticking a hand out to help her to her feet. "Why do you have to stay? He's not your real father."  
  
"I still have to call him dad." Kagome sighed.  
  
Inuyasha still didn't understand. "Is your real father dead?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then why are you calling someone else 'dad'?"  
  
"Because..." Kagome struggled to explain. "Because he's going to be acting as father of this family from now on. I have to respect him and stay here to get to know him."  
  
"Why should you? If he's no relation to you, you shouldn't have to respect him." Inuyasha pointed out. "Unless you LIKE the guy. Do you like him more than us?"  
  
"No!" Kagome said hurriedly. "I really don't respect or like him in anyway! I'd much rather go shard hunting than stay here with that... that Sesshomaru wannabe!"  
  
"Then why are you bothering? Just say no!"  
  
"I can't - because if I do I will upset my mother and she's had it tough recently! She deserves some happiness and she doesn't need me being insolent and rude!" Kagome snapped. "I want to make her happy... so I'm going to try and get to like this guy... but she wants me to stay here for a few months until my exams are over and the wedding will probably be over... then I can go back to the feudal era with you.  
  
"Shit no!" Inuyasha yelled. "One week was long enough as it was."  
  
"I know, I know!" she tried to calm him down quickly. "That's why after next week when school starts again... I'll go back through the well. They'll think I'm at school... and you'll have me for six hours a day to do shard hunting. But I have to come back here every night to make it look like I've been at school."  
  
"No!" Inuyasha shook his head. "That's unreasonable."  
  
"Or I could just not bother at all. I could just go to school and catch up on my work and go join you in a few months." She folded her arms seriously. "Is that a better solution."  
  
"That's worse!"  
  
"Six hours a day Inuyasha. That's the best I can do!" she sighed. "I'm sorry..."  
  
Inuyasha stared heatedly at her a moment before cursing under his breath and giving her a dirty roll of the eyes. "I should never have let you come back in the first place..."  
  
Maybe he was right. If she hadn't been able to come back she wouldn't have gone to her father's place and found out about Mari. Then she wouldn't have caused her Mother to come clean about Denji. And Denji wouldn't have moved into the house. Then Kagome would still be free to pass between worlds whenever she wanted.  
  
"I don't think it would have made a difference." She said quietly, turning her eyes to the ground.  
  
She saw annoyed and frustrated expressions flicker over Inuyasha's face... vaguely reminding her of times when Souta was deprived his favourite food, TV show or refused chances to go see his friends. She wanted to kick herself for being so unfair to him.  
  
Suddenly without warning he jerked her forward and pulled her into an excruciatingly tight embrace. "I-Inuyasha?"  
  
He closed his eyes with an anguished frown as he hugged her tighter, trying to savour the moment as best he could - get enough reassurance from her to last another week alone. He didn't like the terms she'd laid out... but he had no choice...  
  
He was just going to have to go insane over the next few months till summer...  
  
Kagome was just moving to reciprocate the embrace when he suddenly jerked away with a closed expression. He opened his mouth to say something before closing it and stomping over to the window. He swung himself out with one word of farewell. "Bye."  
  
He disappeared before Kagome had the chance to echo the word... the cool breeze blew through the window and she shivered, suddenly feeling very open and alone. She didn't often feel this way... but she usually had lots of people around her that she could depend on.  
  
She almost always had Inuyasha... he was usually there even when she wanted him gone. He was always a good support to lean against... to talk to... and her family was supposedly even more of a stronger support. But recently... she was feeling that she was being separated from it all. Her mother didn't come and have those frequent mother-daughter chats that they usually had. Souta wasn't much of a person to confide in and depend on... and the less send about Grandpa's dependability the better. They were her emotional support... and they were drifting away at a shocking rate.  
  
And Inuyasha... the person she depended on with her life was not going to be around as much as she would have liked.  
  
That horrible lonely feeling crept up on her and she quietly went over to close the window... hesitating slightly as if it symbolised how she was shutting out Inuyasha from her life. But she shook her head at her silliness and closed it quickly.  
  
But she couldn't shake the feeling as she slipped under the covers of her bed, still fully dressed, and only at nine o'clock. She figured this would be a good time to devise a way out of her problems...  
  
Too bad she fell asleep before she came to any real solution...  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
AN: Seems to be a little trouble uploading these chapters. The gaps don't show up unless you put something in them like a *. Don't know why. But I thought I better change it so I wouldn't confuse you all (but you're probably still confused anyway). 


	3. A Waste of Time

AN: You wouldn't believe the trouble I went through to get this chapter out... My computer died - officially - and I LOST all of my work and programs due to some sneaky little virus that crept up in it's dying days. Which is annoying because I had several chapters that were just waiting to be finished off for posting soon... now I have to find time to rewrite them all.  
  
But good news: I'm now sorted with a brand new computer (ish) and it no longer crashes! (though no one warned me Windows XP is so bloody bright coloured! I go blind every time I turn the thing on...) But hurray anyway! Maybe I won't take so long to update now ^_^ I hope.  
  
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Father Figure  
  
A Waste of Time  
  
*  
  
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*  
  
"Bye Mom! See you later!" Kagome called as she hurriedly shoved her shoes on and trotted out of the door.  
  
"Kagome - wait!" Her mother appeared in the door frame after her. "Aren't you going to wait for Souta to take him to school?"  
  
"Uh - no - I don't want to be late!" Kagome called back lamely, even though she was twenty minutes early. She waved quickly and headed towards the shrine steps, as though she was going on her average school day way. When she reached the top step she looked back casually, scanning the area around her carefully.  
  
Her mother had gone back inside and Grandpa was around the back of the house burning leaves. Neither were in a position to see her. Kagome carefully looked around again, trying to spot if Souta was around, hiding in the bushes or something... but no... he didn't seem to be around.  
  
Kagome put her mind at ease and took a step in the direction of the well house... but froze instantly when her gaze stopped on Denji, standing in the kitchen window, looking out at her. He was simply watching her with a glass of water in his hand.  
  
Those few seconds she stared back seemed to last an eternity until she snapped out of her daze as Denji took a sip of water. She smiled sheepishly and turned to head down the steps of the shrine, trying to work out an alternative route to the well house... one which Denji wouldn't see.  
  
Still, Kagome felt she'd been effectively creeped out for the rest of the morning. Slimy, blood-sucking monsters were no match against the penetrating glare of her new 'Daddy'.  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
Inuyasha growled in annoyance as he cast another look at the shadows beneath the trees around him. It had been thirty minutes later than what she'd promised... she was late AGAIN. He'd been standing here for over an hour, forcing himself to be patient.  
  
He turned with a sullen air and glared down at the well before him, just daring it to spit out Kagome right that moment. But he was greeted by nothing but silence, much to his further annoyance. Just to eat up time he crouched down beside the old wooden structure and scraped a claw against the side, leaving a small mark ingrained there. He leaned back to take a look at the total marks that had scratched out.  
  
Fifteen days without Kagome... he was going to go insane if she didn't turn up within the next five minutes.  
  
Someone up there must have been keen on him keeping his sanity, as only moments later he heard a scuffle down in the well as a soft body landed on the bottom. He straightened and peered down with a frown.  
  
"Tadaa!" Kagome flung her arms up and out like she'd completed an amazing trick. She smiled up at him and gave a cheerful little wave. "Good morning!"  
  
His scowl deepened, but he had to admit that some of the tension left his body as soon as he'd seen her stupid smiling face. Instead of show his relief and pleasure at her return, he decided to keep her on her toes. "Where the hell's that 'bike' thing of yours?"  
  
Kagome sighed, hearing his irritable voice and discovering he wasn't as pleased to see her as she was to see him. "I had to sneak here you know. I can't sneak well whilst carrying a metal contraption that weighs as much as Buyo."  
  
"And what the hell happened to your clothes?" he demanded again. "You look like you've already fought with demons today."  
  
"Oh... well..." Kagome self-consciously looked down at her scruffy, dirty clothes and mud streaked arms and legs. She dreaded what her hair and face looked like. "Like I said, I had to sneak here. Through the rhododendron bushes behind the well house. All that to avoid Denji."  
  
"Well then what are you messing around for? We have to start off right now if we want to get anywhere." He reached down and pulled her gently out of the well by her backpack.  
  
"You couldn't just hold my hand could you..." she said flatly as he set her down.  
  
"And risk getting as dirty as you?" he snorted and turned heel to start stalking in the direction of Kaede's village. "Six hours right?"  
  
"Yeah." Kagome dusted off her clothes absently as she obediently toddled after him.  
  
"Sango says there's a rumour of a strong demon in a hamlet in the East. Probably a Shikon shard involved somewhere." He said shortly.  
  
"Right." Kagome hefted her bag decisively and took a purposeful step. Though she nearly crashed into Inuyasha when he stopped because she was walking so close. He turned around suddenly and took her back. "Hey!"  
  
"We'll travel faster if I take that." Was the only explanation he offered as he turned around again and walked off. Kagome could sense he was in some kind of bad mood... she reckoned it was because of their little six hour arrangement. Well, it didn't exactly put Kagome in a great mood either.  
  
She decided not to comment on it anyway. Kagome knew well enough now, that if she ever pointed out he was in a bad mood, he would only get huffy and defensive and work himself into an even uglier mood. The best cure for bad mood syndrome was to just let him work it out of his system. At least... that was the fastest way to make him a more civilised person.  
  
So she just kept her moth shut as she traipsed after him on their way to the village.  
  
Miroku and Sango were already sitting on the porch of Kaede's home, geared up and eager to get moving. Kirara and Shippo were happily grooming each other's tails.  
  
Inuyasha didn't even pause as he strode past the house towards the forest. "Let's go!" he snapped abruptly as he walked by. Shippo looked up from Kirara's tail at the irritated Hanyou.  
  
"What crawled up his butt?" The small Kitsune wondered aloud.  
  
Inuyasha's reaction to this was to march right back to the house and all but kick Shippo into action. "I said move it pip-squeak or else I'll use your bones as tooth picks! And that's after I pull out your insides and stuff you full of fluff to use as a pillow!"  
  
"Holy cattle!" Shippo dodged another well aimed kick and skittered off ahead of the troop. Kagome just sighed at the pairs antics and glanced at her watch as she took her position behind Sango and Miroku as they started on their trail.  
  
She only had six hours to find and kill this demon and check if it had a Shikon shard... Man, she was gonna be pressed for time.  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
"Inuyasha..."  
  
He ignored her soft call. If he turned around and asked what she wanted then she'd ask to turn back now. To turn back would mean they'd have to call it a day. They hadn't even gotten close to the hamlet with the demon... they'd just have wasted a pointless day of walking around.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome called again with another pointed glance at her watch. "Inuyasha - I really have to go back now."  
  
He stopped suddenly, causing Shippo to smack into his leg from behind. He turned angrily and waved a hand vaguely at the sun. "What the hell for? It's only midday!"  
  
"Yeah - well it took us three hours to get here - it's gonna take me three hours to get back. And if I don't get back home in time then my Mom will know I was here!" Kagome argued. "Come on, Inuyasha, I thought we'd already settled this!"  
  
Yeah, he knew that, he just wanted to see if he could change her mind at all. "But we haven't even got anywhere today! All we've done is walk!"  
  
"Well that's different." Miroku commented dryly.  
  
Kagome shook her head and turned without warning to start walking back the way they'd just come. "Sorry, but I have to go. I'll come back tomorrow morning and maybe we should try and make better time then?"  
  
"This is fucking ridiculous!" Inuyasha growled more to himself than anyone else. He turned away from Kagome's departing form to the path ahead of them, as if maybe he would be able to see the hamlet village if he squinted hard enough. But no... they were too far away.  
  
"Maybe we can go on ahead and slay the Youkai anyway?" Sango suggested reasonably.  
  
"Then what? Drag it's rotten corpse back to Kaede's village so Kagome can take a look at it tomorrow to see if it's got any shards?" Shippo pointed out.  
  
"Well, either that, or we could dissect piece by piece and sift through its guts to find that little slither of glass." Miroku shrugged.  
  
"It's a big demon." Sango glanced at him.  
  
"It's a long boring day ahead. We have the time." Miroku turned back to where Kagome was walking away down the beaten down dirt road. "Maybe someone should accompany her... even in the middle of the day, it's not safe for a young girl to go wandering around the countryside. There could be all kinds of bandits and rogue samurai lurking in the bushes."  
  
Both he, Sango and Shippo slanted pointed looks to where Inuyasha was quietly steaming away to himself, obvious at the end of his very short fuse and about to go stark raving mad. He caught their looks but didn't know what they wanted, seeing as he'd completely missed that conversation.  
  
"What?"  
  
Miroku rolled his eyes and clapped him over the shoulder with his staff, to get him staggering in Kagome's direction. "Go accompany her, you pathetic love sick fool."  
  
"Who's love sick?!" Inuyasha exploded, turning, fists raised, and ready to beat that statement back into the monk's mouth.  
  
"Just go back with her or else she'll get mugged!" Sango broke in, pointing after Kagome whilst glaring at Inuyasha, like an angry mother who was sending a child to bed.  
  
Inuyasha clenched his fists and exhaled deeply, trying valiantly to keep a hold of his anger. He shot one last murderous glare at Miroku before turning and stomping after Kagome.  
  
Once he was out of ear shot Shippo scrambled up Miroku's robes to perch on his shoulder. "Inuyasha really needs to put his foot down with Kagome. He's really letting her get away with too much these days."  
  
"Here, here." Sango echoed.  
  
"Best to just let her be. It appears she has problems with her family from what Inuyasha tells." Miroku turned and started along their path again, Sango walking alongside him. "It can't be easy for her to juggle two lives like this."  
  
"I suppose..." Shippo sighed. "But can't she just give up her world and come and stay here for good? Doesn't she like it here? Is Inuyasha putting her off the idea?"  
  
Sango shook her head at the boy. "In the future there are no warlords or wars... it must be much safer over there. She must want to stay there."  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Kagome turned at Inuyasha's voice and waited patiently for him to catch up, secretly pleased he was the only one to accompany her. At least now she'd have some alone time with him. Even if it was only for three hours. "You come to protect the helpless human girl? Or to try and convince me to stay here again?"  
  
"Both." He shrugged as he arrived beside her.  
  
Kagome sighed and started down the path again. "You can't change my mind... I can't change my mind... I'd like to, but I can't. It's as simple as that."  
  
Inuyasha followed her with a stormy expression. "I don't get it. You dislike the guy, but you're doing everything you can to please him!"  
  
"I'm not pleasing him - I'm pleasing my mother!" Kagome protested. "Denji can go rot in hell and - no - I don't mean that..." she lapsed into silence and mentally kicked herself for being so horrible. Denji had done nothing to deserve her malice.  
  
Inuyasha gave a sound of disgust. "You're so nice it's sickening. Why can't you be nasty for once and go tell this 'father' to go stick his head where the sun doesn't shine."  
  
"Because that would upset my mother." Kagome explained. "Besides... I'm not TOO nice."  
  
"Sure, you keep telling yourself that. Being too nice is how we acquired Miroku, remember? And Shippo." Inuyasha folded his arms into his sleeves. "But I guess you have to honour your new father. It isn't everyday people live in complete family units. It must be nice..."  
  
Kagome darted him a surprised look, but he seemed a little distant all of a sudden. All of a sudden she felt incredibly guilty and ungrateful. Here she was complaining about her new step father when Inuyasha didn't even have one... he didn't have a mother either. In fact his own family would be his brother - and Sesshomaru was out to kill him most of the time. She had no right to complain in front of him.  
  
"You look wiped out." Inuyasha observed as she shook herself out of her musings. He suddenly overtook her and crouched down. "Get on."  
  
Kagome obeyed with little protest, quietly slipping onto his back and feeling his strong arms lock around her thighs. As they rose she slid her arms around his neck automatically and rested her head against his soft cushion of hair. When was the last time he'd been generous enough to offer to carry her? When was the last time they'd had the chance to be in a position for him to carry her?  
  
A month maybe...  
  
Kagome sighed and closed her eyes, in complete trust of his capable strength, knowing he wouldn't drop her or jar her in any way. But how many more months would it be before they could really hang around together like they used to?  
  
"Hey..." Inuyasha said quietly, causing Kagome to open her eyes slowly. "This isn't going to work is it?"  
  
She knew what he was talking about, and she realised that he knew just as well as she did that this whole charade would be fruitless. "No... it isn't..."  
  
She waited for him to come up with a brilliant idea that would solve their problems, but he just remained silent. He gave an almost imperceptible sigh and shifted his hands under her knees, squeezing slightly.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes miserably. Even though she was pressed right against his back at that moment... she missed Inuyasha. And that feeling wasn't about to go away any time soon.  
  
She had the next few months to please her mother and Denji, welcoming her new step father into the family and hoping everything would turn out ok in the end. And just as Inuyasha said...  
  
She'd make the most of what she had given to her.  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
"I'm home!" Kagome slung her pack down next to the shoe rack and absently stepped out of her muddy school shoes. She hesitated to step into the house when she was greeted by nothing but silence. "Hello? Anyone home?"  
  
There was still no answer. Grandpa and her mother were usually the only ones home at this time of the day. Souta would undoubtedly be on his way home from school right then, and perhaps her mother was out shopping for food, with or without Denji, she didn't know. Grandpa was either down at the library researching new and exotic illnesses for her to catch, or down playing chess with the old lads in the park.  
  
That would leave just Kagome.  
  
Kagome just shrugged to herself and headed into the kitchen to pour herself a needed drink of water, seeing as she'd forgotten to bring some with her that morning and she'd been marching on an empty stomach all day.  
  
She went over to the sink and picked up one of the freshly washed glasses that sat on the draining board and proceeded to fill it with water. Then she greedily began gulping down the cold liquid.  
  
"Where were you today?"  
  
Denji's voice sounded so close behind her, Kagome jolted massively and the glass slipped from her wet fingers. It shattered with a dull sound on the tiled floor and the contents sloshed over her socks. She stared at the mess for a moment before whipping back to face the Math's teacher.  
  
"Sorry?" she tried to remember what he'd asked her.  
  
He seemed to pay no attention to the fact she'd just smashed one of her mother's best glasses and continued to bore a gaze into her. "Your form tutor called here today... he said you failed to turn up to class. Again."  
  
Kagome's insides turning to rock, making her stomach drop and her limbs feel very heavy all of a sudden. Her heart began thudding inside her rib cage as though it was trying to break free. "Uh..."  
  
"In fact he says you've not turned up to school for the past six weeks... care to tell me what is going on?" he raised one eyebrow. "Or should I go tell your mother that you've been getting up for school every morning but failing to arrive there?"  
  
"Uh..." Kagome murmured again, in a rather unintelligent way. For once her head was blank of all plausible reasons. She couldn't tell him she was usually out prancing around the feudal era with a dog demon, a corrupt priest, a demon exterminator and a child fox-boy. That wouldn't go down well... plus she didn't fancy trusting him with such knowledge yet.  
  
However, a few good excuses for her absences popped up. Mostly along the lines of gangs, drugs, boyfriends, teenage pregnancies and so on... Well, those were the reasons Denji was probably thinking of.  
  
She had to answer soon or whatever excuse she came up with would seem contrived. "Uh... I have a friend... she's been in hospital for the last few months with a serious illness..." was she turning into her Grandfather already. "She has Neuralgia." Yes, she was turning into her grandfather. "I didn't tell my mother I was going to see her because she doesn't like... uh... Kikyo..."  
  
Why did she have to come up with that name above all others...?  
  
"I see." Denji seemed no more agreeable than before, seeing as he was still glaring at her.  
  
"Yeah... and... seeing as she's missing a lot of work from school, my head of year wanted me to go over there and help her catch up on her missed work during the day - my form tutors new so maybe he didn't know that. But I'm not missing any work or anything..."  
  
"Why haven't you told Ayumi this?" Denji asked, referring to his fiancée.  
  
"Because... I told you... she doesn't like K-Kikyo." Kagome found herself stuttering under his intense glare. Either that or she just couldn't pretend Kikyo was a friend of hers.  
  
For a long time he just stared at her, until she felt the fine hairs at the back of her neck prickling with warning. He wasn't being friendly... and that wasn't natural. There was something seriously wrong with this picture.  
  
All of a sudden he broke into a confiding smile and reached out to squeeze her shoulder, the contact so unexpected that Kagome flinched and looked down at his hand.  
  
"Ok. This'll just be our little secret." He said quietly, giving her a meaningful look before turning and walking out of the kitchen.  
  
Kagome couldn't suppress her shudder... what he'd said sounded rather like what a paedophile might say...  
  
She waited until he was gone, and only then did she realise she'd been holding her breath when she let it out in a rush. She turned back to the sink and suddenly let out a scream.  
  
Pain streaked through her foot and up her leg as she staggered back and collapsed in one of the kitchen chairs. Instinctively she pulled her foot up and squeezed it as she clenched her teeth in agony. She was almost too freaked out to take a look, but she peeked down and grimaced as she found a shard of the broken glass had sliced right through her sock and disappeared half into the pads of her left foot.  
  
"Oh crud..." she hissed as she took the glass poking out her flesh. Warily she glanced over her shoulder to see if Denji would come rushing to her aid... but no... he was sat in the living room watching TV like her scream hadn't just echoed around the lower floor of the house at all.  
  
She was half relieved that he hadn't come... but her wariness of him only increased. She'd just screamed rather loudly and all he did was ignore it and carry on watching TV. What kind of parent did that? She could have been hacked in half by a mad axe man for all he knew, and he'd have just sat right through it.  
  
Kagome turned back to her foot and firmed up her resolve as she began to pull the glass out of her foot, trying to ignore the blood that blossomed out along with the shard.  
  
Something dodgy was going on... and she was going to get to the bottom of it. She was going to figure out Denji and somehow convince her mother she was making a mistake. She just knew her mother could do better than a Math teacher.  
  
Well one thing was for sure... with her foot busted like this, she wasn't going to be doing any long distance walking. Which meant she wouldn't be going to see Inuyasha tomorrow... in fact she didn't even think she'd be able to go to school for real.  
  
Inuyasha was going to flip when he found out...  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
AN: Well, I had to rewrite it, so it might seem a little rushed and skimpy on the details. Sorry, but I shouldn't have any more computer problems from now on ^_^ *the hallelujah ballad starts playing* 


	4. Play Dead

AN: My heart totally goes out to ArtemisMoon. I figured having a Dad like Denji is only possible if you're the kid in those child abuse adverts ^_^;;. Fortunately my only grumble with my father is that he pesters me TOO much, rather than ignore me.  
  
Anyway, my saying for the day is: It takes 42 muscles to frown, but just 28 muscles to smile. Though it only takes 4 muscles to reach out and slap someone in the mouth. Give it a try - it's such good stress relief.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Father Figure  
  
Play Dead  
  
*  
  
*  
  
Kagome sighed as she shifted the cold bag of peas against her foot. Her behind was starting to go numb from sitting down for so long, but she couldn't exactly walk around with a damaged foot. It was better to have a dead posterior than a dead foot she thought.  
  
"Can we watch something else other than the nursery kids learning programs?" Souta remarked from his cross-legged position on the floor in front of the sofa. Kagome gave the back of his head a sour look before grabbing the remote and flicking over the channel to some adverts.  
  
"Better?" she asked him.  
  
"Way."  
  
"Why aren't you in school anyway? You don't look sick to me." Kagome remarked, annoyed that she had to share her day off with her younger sibling.  
  
"Teacher training day." He shrugged as he concentrated on licking up the escaping dribbles of ice-cream from his cone. "They said that one of the teacher's is corrupt, so they're sussing out which one today."  
  
"So whoever's missing tomorrow...?"  
  
"Will be the Mr. I help kids cheat their exams."  
  
Well at least it was better than a Mr. I love kids too much, full stop. Kagome huddled down on the sofa, trying to find a different position to bring some feeling back into her behind. Her movement caused the clean slice on the pad of foot to reopen and she squashed the hiss of pain she almost let loose. She'd only worry Souta if she went about groaning all day.  
  
The only good thing she could think of was that for once she seemed to be home again. It was a weekend, the family was staying in after a tiring week at work and school (and feudal demon slaying). Everything was just normal. Grandpa was still tending the shrine grounds outside, Mrs Higurashi was bustling about in the kitchen doing the odd cleaning errands. Souta and Kagome were watching TV... and there was no Denji to be seen anywhere. He was the only one that had work that day, being a teacher.  
  
Kagome mildly hoped he was under teacher training day too in whatever school he taught at. Maybe they'd catch him out to be the weirdo he was... but then again... everyone seemed to think he was Mr. Perfect. Even Souta.  
  
The adverts on the TV were even beginning to take on Kagome's trend of thoughts for that day - seeing as the teacher advert chose that moment to come on.  
  
"Can you imagine working with a small capital behind you? Can you spot the mean number? Can you imagine developing someone's mind? Those who can. Teach."  
  
"And those who can't - Teach Maths." Kagome shot back at the box against the opposite wall. Souta shot her a questioning look over his shoulder.  
  
"What's up with that attitude?" he asked.  
  
Kagome sighed. "Nothing."  
  
"I don't know Kagome, you seem like you've had it in for Denji ever since he arrived. What's the matter with you? He's a nice guy." Souta tried to reason.  
  
She looked down at him with a slightly anguished frown tense on her face. She couldn't believe that she was the only one that noticed these things... "Souta - I screamed when I cut my foot and he didn't care. He just carried on watching TV."  
  
"Maybe he didn't hear you?" He shrugged.  
  
"Souta - YOU heard me and you were at the bottom of the steps at the road! I screamed so loud the neighbours came over to make sure I wasn't being horribly murdered!"  
  
Souta turned back to eating his ice cream. "You're paranoid, you know that, right?"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"You are. Ever since you started visiting the past with the dog-eared boy, and fought demons and stuff, you got all paranoid." He didn't seem to think much of this. "Now you're saying Denji is evil?"  
  
"I never said he was evil..." Kagome scowled. Yeah... just the spawn of evil. They were two different things.  
  
"Whatever... just don't go round called him 'aku' or anything."  
  
"I'll tattoo it to his bleeding forehead..." Kagome muttered darkly.  
  
"You what?"  
  
"Nothing." She started to get up, carefully arranging her weight on her good leg as she hopped off to the kitchen to find something to drink. Her mother was gone from the kitchen by now and was instead pottering around upstairs making beds and things like she usually did on her days off.  
  
Kagome went to the sink and grabbed another clean glass to fill with water. That was just asking for something bad to happen.  
  
"So you just decided to go quitter on us"  
  
Kagome started massively at Inuyasha's voice as he popped into the window directly in front of her. The jump made her overbalance on her wobbly legs and she started to tip backwards with a small cry.  
  
Inuyasha was NOT going to have her crack her head open on his account and his hand snapped out so fast it was a blur - to grab the front of her shirt, halting her fall effectively.  
  
"Nice catch..." Kagome told him, breathing hard as she got over her scare. But then she noticed his fingers were all but stuffed down the neckline of her low cut shirt. She yelped and attacked his hand regardless of the fact he was the only thing keeping her up. She only realised this when he let her go and she landed on her behind with a jarred thump.  
  
"So this is how you repay all my help." He forced the window open wider to fit himself through and jumped across the sink to land nimbly on the floor beside her.  
  
"What help?" Kagome grumbled, rubbing her badly abused behind. "You dropped me!"  
  
"You didn't turn up!" he shot back. "Sango and Miroku killed that demon and brought it back to the village just so you could take a look at it!"  
  
"They dragged it all the way? How big was it?" she asked.  
  
He pulled something out of his sleeve that looked like a black furry purse... with a tail. Kagome took a closer look and yelped again. "You brought a dead possum here?!"  
  
"Not possum. Demon!" he swung it before her like a hypnotist swings his watch, freaking her out even more. "Well?"  
  
"Well what?!" she was scooting back until she was up against the table leg.  
  
"Is there a shard?"  
  
"God no!" Kagome yelled. "Throw it out the window - this is a kitchen! Not a morgue!"  
  
"Figures." He tossed it over his shoulder without looking, sending it sailing out the open hole in the wall. "Stupid villagers worried over a silly killer rat."  
  
"So I guess the trip would have been wasted after all, huh?" Kagome pointed out.  
  
Inuyasha gave her an annoyed look. "There's another rumour, a more promising one this time. Sango and Miroku picked it up in the killer rat village. We could have gotten there by now if you'd just shown up on time!"  
  
"Not my fault, Inuyasha!" she pointed to her bandaged foot. "Are you blind, or just ignorant of the fact I can barely walk!"  
  
He turned his gaze to her foot with a frown, taking in the crisp white bandage around it as well as the fresh red speckles of blood that were showing through. "When did that happen?"  
  
"Right after a got back." She would have tried to get to her feet by now, but she was sure she'd just embarrass herself and fall over again.  
  
Inuyasha was about to say something when the phone rang beside his head. He snapped around to stare at it. It sounded sort of similar to Kagome's alarm clock...  
  
"Could you get that - I'm a bit weighed down here." She said as she began to stand up regardless.  
  
"Get it?" he turned his confused gaze to her. "Get what?"  
  
"Pick it up." She said pointing to the handset.  
  
He complied and held it out before him, sort of glad it had stopped ringing. "Now what?"  
  
"Talk into it-" Kagome stopped short as she realised this was probably a bad idea... interesting though.  
  
Inuyasha raised it cautiously to his mouth with a curious look and spoke into it like he might speak to a dark empty cave. "Hullo?"  
  
"Hello." A voice replied.  
  
Inuyasha had to shift it higher so his ear could actually reach the ear piece. He gave Kagome a queer look before dropping the phone into her lap and walking off into the living room. She guessed he didn't think too much of modern technology.  
  
"Hello?" she said, pressing the phone between her cheek and her shoulder as she began to rise as quickly as she could.  
  
"Er... who was that?" she recognised her father's voice at once and nearly fell over again as intense relief caught her. God how she missed his voice.  
  
"Hi Dad! You don't usually call, is everything ok?" she asked, bursting with new found pleasantness that she hadn't felt much since Denji had been around to oppress everything.  
  
"Everything's fine. I just called to tell your mother something, but I guess I could tell you instead." He sounded pleased whatever it was. "I got a job offer from a customer in the same district as you guys. He's some kind of rich snob with stress problems and wants private sessions for a few weeks."  
  
"You're moving here?" Kagome nearly cried with excitement.  
  
"Only for a few weeks." He said quickly. "And I won't be staying near you guys, I'll be renting a flat out further into town."  
  
"How far away?"  
  
"Only about ten minutes or so by foot I should think."  
  
This was great. For some reason she kept imagining her father coming over and kicking new dad's butt into next week. "Great! Souta can see you now - when are you coming over?"  
  
"I should be there by Sunday."  
  
That was only six days away considering it was Tuesday.  
  
"Remember to tell you Mom, ok, honey?" Her father prompted her.  
  
"I will." She promised.  
  
"I gotta go now, I'll see you at the weekend, love."  
  
"Bye Dad."  
  
"Bye Kagome." The line clicked dead at the other end and she sighed happily as she set the phone back in the cradle.  
  
Kagome hobbled out of the kitchen and back into the living room where both Inuyasha and Souta were sat on the carpet staring at the TV screen like it was their lord. "Who was that?" Souta asked without looking up.  
  
"Dad."  
  
"Yeah?" his eyes lit up and he tore his attention to her. "What's he say?"  
  
"He's coming to visit this weekend. He'll be staying for a while."  
  
"Here?" Souta asked,  
  
"Nope. A flat somewhere else. I don't think he'd want to infringe on Mom's new fiancé or anything." Kagome looked at her watch and bit her lip. Denji would be home soon and if he saw Inuyasha... that was the end of everything.  
  
"Inuyasha?" she gestured for him to follow her. He complied, only after a moments hesitation, and followed her out of the room where she started up the stairs at an agonisingly slow pace.  
  
"Any slower and I could bet you in snail races." He suddenly picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, ignoring her indignant squeak.  
  
"Don't touch me with your dead dirty possum hands!" she shrieked as she batted his back. "Now I need another bath!"  
  
"All you do is take baths!" he snapped back. "Anyway - that thing was perfectly clean!"  
  
"It smelt!"  
  
"No it didn't!"  
  
"Then it was you who smelt!"  
  
"Ok - the possum stunk!" he kicked open her door and dropped her on the bed. "Did you dither around that much with Kouga?!"  
  
Well he HAD just carried her in a very Kouga-like fashion. She just balled her hands into fists and folded her arms, turning her nose away. "I try and be helpful - and all I get is a injured foot for my trouble, you know. You don't even have the decency to sympathise."  
  
"Well you should be more careful!" he waved a hand at her bandaged appendage. "Back where I come from - if you damage your feet you're as good as dead."  
  
"Sounds like lions in the Sahara..." Remembering all those natural history programs Souta usually made her sit through in the evenings.  
  
"Like what in the what?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her, clueless.  
  
"It wasn't my fault, ok?" she tried to placate him. "Denji gave me a scare and made me drop some glass and then I stepped on it."  
  
Inuyasha's expression suddenly slackened. "Your step father did it to you?"  
  
"Yes - I mean - no..." She flicked her gaze to her wringing hands in her lap. "I don't know... it wasn't on purpose..."  
  
"An accident."  
  
"Yeah, but he didn't care that he made me hurt myself." Kagome mumbled, slightly embarrassed with herself, feeling a blush rise into her cheeks. She didn't know what she had to be embarrassed about, she just felt slightly stupid. She was the only one who seemed to notice there was something odd about Denji. No matter how much she hinted to the other members of her family, they seemed blind to it all, making her seem like it was all in her head.  
  
Maybe Souta was right... maybe she was just paranoid.  
  
She glanced back up at Inuyasha and noticed he was looking at her strangely, she felt heat rise to her cheeks again. "What?"  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
"Just hot." She pretended to fan her flushed face. "You better go now... I don't want Denji finding out about you and the well or anything... I don't trust that guy yet."  
  
Inuyasha seemed reluctant to move from his spot, but he took a few steps towards the window before turning back. "Come along when your foot's better, ok?"  
  
"Ok..." she saw him turn to leave again and quickly realised something else. "You can visit any time you lie - during the day when he's not here!" she realised there was a slightly hopeful tone in her voice that he couldn't have missed.  
  
He looked back with a shrug. "Maybe. Whatever."  
  
She tried not to let how much his callused response left her a little crestfallen. It was boring when Inuyasha wasn't around. She really wouldn't mind seeing him a little more often.  
  
He was soon gone from her window and out of sight. She sat on her bed for a few minutes pondering if he would be back tomorrow.  
  
It wasn't long before she heard the front door slam and Denji's falsely pleasant voice call out. "I'm home!"  
  
Kagome closed her eyes with a groan and flopped backwards onto her bed, wishing everything was back the way it used to be. No Denji, no problems seeing Inuyasha...  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
Inuyasha didn't leave straight away, he hung around the bushes beside the well house, waiting for the man that was posing as Kagome's new father to arrive. She said he'd be back soon...  
  
The roar of a car engine close by caught his attention, before it was soon cut off. Car doors opened and slammed again, and before long someone began ascending the shrine stairs. Inuyasha crouched down, wishing maybe he could wear more camouflage colours other than red at this point, but watched intently as the figure came into view on the stairs.  
  
The guy looked... well, average. Kinda good looking and lean. But in that pathetic human way which didn't threaten Inuyasha much. He was SO much better looking than that guy... Why had he ever been worried that man was Kagome's boyfriend anyway?  
  
The man entered the house and called the usual arrival greeting most people seemed to use around here. He was greeted by Kagome's mother who looked especially rosy-cheeked that day. Inuyasha watched through the window as she kissed him on the lips and gave him a brief hug in the hall before he moved off into the living room to greet Souta, giving the boy a fond ruffle of the hair before disappearing off into the kitchen, out of Inuyasha's sight.  
  
Inuyasha sat back and cocked his head with wonder. The guy acted like he was the natural father of the family... and they all treated him as such - except for Kagome. He shrugged and stepped out of the bushes to lean against the side of the well house.  
  
Maybe this whole evil stepfather thing was in her head after all. The guy didn't give off evil vibes, and he certainly didn't smell like a demon or anything.  
  
Maybe all this stress and paranoia was getting to Kagome - in that case better give her some time off.  
  
But...  
  
Why would Kagome lie that Denji had caused her injury? She'd obviously been embarrassed to tell him... she had no reason to lie. Kagome was an extremely nice girl. She wouldn't make stuff like that up.  
  
So no, he wouldn't trust this Denji guy, even though he seemed the decent kind on the surface. He'd take Kagome's view on him... and just be very wary.  
  
Nope... he wasn't going to be far from Kagome's side. He'd visit as often as possible... he'd stay even when he was told to leave (even without Kagome's knowledge). He had to protect her, even if it was from her own family.  
  
"Starting now." He declared to the world around him.  
  
A sweeping sound made him turn his head and he spotted Kagome's grandpa come around the corner of the house. The old man merely looked at him pointedly and tapped his digital watch, hinting Inuyasha should be gone by now.  
  
"Starting tomorrow!" Inuyasha declared again, before turning and heading back inside the well house to get tell the others that their shard hunting was going to be put on hold for a while.  
  
Something more important had come up.  
  
*  
  
^_^  
  
*  
  
It wasn't usually so quiet during dinner, but for some reason it was that evening. Kagome darted glances between the rest of her family and Denji as she quietly tore off pieces of bread to dip in her soup and chew in silence. It didn't seem uncomfortably tense of anything, it was just that everyone was very hungry, and wanted to eat rather than talk.  
  
Well it was comfortable to everyone except Kagome, who felt as though a giant invisible pressure was on her shoulders, pushing her down. It was so tense... she had to break it something.  
  
"Souta - could you pass the bread?" she asked her brother who picked up the plate and passed it to her.  
  
"You forgot to say please." Denji commented coolly from opposite her.  
  
Kagome didn't say anything as she excepted the bread. She felt stupid saying 'please' so belatedly. She just smiled at Souta in her usual way to convey her appreciation. Souta understood.  
  
"And you forgot to say thank you." Denji picked at her manners again.  
  
Kagome felt herself turn red all over again as her mother and Grandpa sent her disparaging looks. "Thank you..." she muttered.  
  
"S'ok." Souta shrugged, he didn't really care whether he was thanked or not. It was just a waste of energy to say 'please' or 'thank you' after everything you said at the table. After how many years, you tended to get casual about eating with the family.  
  
Obviously Denji intended to shape things up again.  
  
Kagome went back to eating, loading two more slices of bread onto her plate.  
  
"Careful, Kagome, you don't want to put on any more weight. White bread is surprisingly unhealthy you know." Denji lectured.  
  
Kagome's hand froze over her spoon as she stared at her food. She couldn't believe he'd just said that so blatantly. "Are you saying I'm fat?"  
  
"Don't be silly, Kagome." Her mother admonished. "He just means you should be careful about eating too much. With that bad foot you don't need to carry around too much unhealthy weight."  
  
Kagome snapped wide eyes on her mother. She was taking Denji's side? She glanced across at her Grandpa who was staying out of the matter, continuing to eat his food quietly, though he had a small frown on her brow. Souta didn't seem to notice as he continued scarfing down his meal like a starved boy.  
  
It was like her whole family had turned against her. Or at least half was against her, the other half just didn't bother defending her. She suddenly pushed her chair back, no longer hungry, and started to get up.  
  
"You forgot to ask if you could go." Her mother pointed out, picking up after Denji's lead.  
  
Kagome had to bite back her tears as she nearly staggered on her bad foot. "Can I go?" she asked, glad her voice didn't show the tears that were glazing her eyes as she stood with her back to them.  
  
"You can." Her mother said dutifully.  
  
Kagome tried not to limp as she walked out of the kitchen and headed up the stairs. She didn't allow herself to break down and cry until she reached her room. Once inside and slumped on the bed she let herself go. Smothering her sobs into her pillow.  
  
This was the third time she'd cried since Denji's arrival... she hadn't cried that much in six months - and it was usually only because Inuyasha said hurtful things - but she knew he never usually meant what he said. It was just a case of foot in mouth syndrome - or a bad brain to mouth connection. Denji's words were chosen carefully... he knew how this affected her.  
  
Right then she knew she wasn't paranoid about anything. There was something seriously wrong about Denji, but everyone was too in love with him to notice. That was probably because he only attacked Kagome, and in so subtle little ways that anyone other than herself wouldn't notice.  
  
But what had he got against her? Had she done something to upset him? The moment she'd walked in that door he'd been against her from the word go... but why? She'd done nothing wrong...  
  
Kagome didn't understand, and it made her cry all that much harder for it.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
*  
  
AN: Psychological bullying... hmmm... 


	5. The Truth About The Well

AN: Just before I start I'd like to say that I am actually English, not American (though some already know that) and therefore I spell things wrong apparently. I put S in realise instead of Z. Hardly anyone uses Z in English spelling… it's like the forbidden letter or something. Don't ask me why. But it means that I say Maths instead of Math, because to me it sounds like Mathematics with a plural. I know it might sound awkward to others, but it really doesn't to me.

I just thought I better say because a lot of people have recently been giving me grief about the way I write. And for the last time 'camp' isn't an Americanism. How can it be?

And as for why I say Mom, instead of Mum – well that's because I read translations and fan fics galore and it just starts to sound out of character if I make Kagome say Mum instead. ^_^;; She's officially Americanised in these stories I write. 

And for those who wonder what happened to my missing fics – you can find them at this site in the fanfiction section I've lost the files myself so I can't upload them back onto ff.net anymore, so this is where you'll have to go to read them. 

Ok, enough grouchy notes and more story!

Father Figure

The Truth About the Well

Kagome's finger reached out mechanically to turn the page of the magazine she was reading… or looking at in a glazed trance like state. She _had _been reading the columns, until her mother had come into the kitchen and started moving around, tidying the place up. Kagome had been wanting to speak to her mother for some time… Now all she had to do was sum up the courage to talk.

Finally she looked up and watched her mother as she ran a cloth over the counter surfaces. Kagome bit her lip and tried to think how best to start this imminently volatile conversation.

"Mom…?" Always a good way to start.

"Hm?" Her mother hummed to show she was listening as she continued without a break in her cleaning.

It would have helped if her mother gave her more undivided attention… because she was sure that what she was about to say was quite serious.

"What do you think of Denji?" she asked almost hesitantly, afraid of the answer, even though she already knew it. Maybe her mother would surprise her. But unfortunately, Mrs Higurashi wasn't the impulsive type of person.

"He's a fine man, don't you think?" Her mother smiled as she dipped her cloth in the sink full of warm soapy water and wrung it out. "Steady job, steady mind, he's really hitting it off with Souta. I was worried about that boy… he hasn't had much of a male role model in his life."

"What about Grandpa?" Kagome pointed out.

They both thought about that before both shaking their heads negatively.

"Well, what about Inuyasha?" Kagome shrugged. "He's a good role model… sort of… well – he's male."

"He's not really around enough…" Mrs Higurashi paused her cleaning to throw her daughter a sceptical glance. "What's this all about? Why are you asking whether or not Denji's a good role model for Souta?"

"I'm not asking that." Kagome leaped to her own defence. "I was… just curious to know how _you _felt about Denji."

She was sorry she asked. Mrs Higurashi beamed like a school girl with her first fresh love all over again. Kagome didn't need to hear her mother's answer. "You love him a lot don't you…?"

"I do."

__

More than Dad? Kagome wanted to ask, but knew best to keep her mouth shut. They were divorced, which meant they didn't love each other any more. Her father was now engaged to a lovely woman, and her mother was now fallen for… a creep… a creepy creep.

"Why'd you ask?" her mother repeated.

"Um…" Kagome shifted uncomfortably, feeling a little hot around the collar. "Don't you think… I mean… haven't you noticed that Denji – I'm not being shrewd or anything… but haven't you noticed he's… well…"

"He's what?" Mrs Higurashi leaned against the counter to watch Kagome through curious eyes.

"He's… odd?" Kagome winced, waiting for her mother to snap at her.

To her surprise, her mother just chuckled. "Odd? Don't be silly, he's the only normal man in this house. Maybe we're all so odd now that we live in a shrine with an enchanted well, that we start to think normal is out of the ordinary."

Kagome didn't follow her mother's humour. In fact she felt a little indignant. "Actually… I don't mean that… I mean, don't you think Denji is strange. Stranger than normal… as in…" Kagome struggled for words as her mother's eyes slowly narrowed on her. "Not right?"

Mrs Higurashi stared at her a moment before sighing and shifting her weight to her other leg. "Not this again…" she glared back at Kagome. "I thought we'd gotten past this little acceptance stage. What's the matter with you?"

Kagome hugged herself slightly. "I-I…"

"Denji has been so good to us." Her mother scowled at her. "He's done nothing but help you with your maths and contribute to this family – even though he doesn't have to! Good men like that are hard to come across, Kagome – I don't know what's the matter with you! Usually you at least give people a chance before you decide you dislike them – why haven't you given Denji a chance!"

She HAD given Denji a chance! She'd given him three weeks of chance to prove her wrong about her initial feelings. But he was only getting worse as time wore on…

For some reason, Kagome couldn't find the nerve to say that to her mother, though she couldn't think why. She just seemed to lack the courage to speak to her mother any more…

"Why don't you like him?! He's done nothing wrong! He's fond of you and he wishes you would feel the same for him! He'll be your father soon!" Mrs Higurashi berated her.

Kagome clenched her fingers around her glass of water so hard she saw them turn white. She could feel a hard lump form in her throat, along with an imminent feeling of tears welling up behind her eyes. A roaring was droning out the quiet of the kitchen, almost as if intensifying the silence. Mrs Higurashi waited for an answer from her daughter… but she received none.

After a while she straightened and dropped her cloth into the sink. "I suggest you think about your selfishness Kagome, if I can call it that. I don't know what you have against Denji. The only thing I can think of is that he's replacing your father."

Kagome closed her eyes, half in despair. That had nothing to do with it…

"Though I can't understand that. You accepted Mari just fine, so why can't you be fair to me as well and accept Denji. They're both very fair and pleasant people when you get to know them."

A long pause stretched out. Kagome kept her eyes closed, knowing if she opened them and blinked the tears would spring loose. Mrs Higurashi didn't seem to notice her daughter's distress and moved past her to leave the kitchen, throwing one last terse comment over her shoulder before she disappeared. "Think about what you say from now on, young lady."

When she was alone, Kagome finally opened her eyes and felt the tears begin to well up, ready to spill. But instead, she took a deep breath and refused to blink and let them fall. After a few moments her eyes dried and the choppy feeling her in her chest faded somewhat. No, she didn't need to cry.

So she went back to reading her magazine.

^_^

Kagome hurriedly stuffed her feet into a good pair of old boots as she sat on the floor beside her bed. She only had a few minutes or else she could just forget the whole mission.

Her foot was healing well, so well that she could now walk around for short periods of time, and she planned to use this time to trail Denji and Souta to the park. She had to know how his relationship with her little brother was… did he treat Souta the same way he treated Kagome.

It was a Saturday, meaning lots of parents were taking their kids to the park… She'd be hidden by the crowds well enough (hopefully) and from there she'd be able to observe them both.

Of course, hitches in her well thought out plans always popped up at the last minute. This time in the form of her favourite Hanyou.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, half-way through his window, giving her the most irritated look yet. "Please tell me you're getting ready to come back."

"Can't." She said bluntly as she finished tying her laces on stood up, testing her sore foot. The pain wasn't so bad now. "I have to go follow Denji and Souta to the park."

"Uh… Why?" Inuyasha slipped from the window to the floor, looking at her carefully. She seemed very determined that morning.

"Because I have to know if Souta's ok with him." She had to know if she was the only one being mistreated.

"Maybe you should eat something before you go." Inuyasha suddenly said.

"What?"

"You're trembling." He pointed out, looking at her hands which quaked ever so slightly against the folds of a pleated black and yellow chequered skirt. "Lacking energy today, huh?"

"I don't have time for breakfast." She waved her hand with a dismissive gesture, choosing not to tell him she wouldn't eat breakfast as long as Denji was at the table. "I have to go now, see ya later Inuyasha."

She dashed out the door with a slight limp before he could stop her. She was down the stairs and out the door before her path was blocked by his larger frame, folded arms and stern look. "If you have the energy to go chasing step fathers, why not come back and chase demons instead."

"Same thing." She shrugged and tried to move past him. He grabbed her jacket sleeve to stop her, making an impatient scowl flicker across her expression. If he delayed her too long she'd be left too far behind. "What?" she asked with a sigh.

He regarded her for a moment before offering his back for her to get on for a lift. "If I let you run around like this you'll just damage your foot further. Then you'll use it as an excuse to stay here when you should come back home."

"THIS is my home." She argued, even as she clambered onto his strong back.

"Which way's this 'park' thing?"

"I'll guide you."

^_^

"We're here – you better put me down, or he'll see us." Not that she wasn't noticeable enough as it was with a white haired boy in a bright red hakama and haori… with little doggy ears no less. "Maybe we should have brought you a hat?" Kagome whispered to him as they began making their way through the sparse crowd of pedestrians as they headed towards the gates leading into the park.

"Oh, right, I remember." Inuyasha nodded, recalling the last time they'd made him wear a hat out in public. So he just snatched a hat off a random girl who was passing a little too close by them. The girl yelped indignantly and was about to cause a fuss, until she saw Inuyasha and reckoned she shouldn't even bother.

"How's that?" he stuffed it on over his ears.

"You look positively French." Kagome told him with a poorly concealed grin. Well it WAS a little black French hat. "I can kinda see the resemblance between you and your brother now."

"Sorry?" he said loudly.

"I said I think that hat's too tight on your ears!" she yelled back, grabbing his hand to drag him through the gates before she lost him. She began following the path through the grassy quads of trees and water features, trying to find her brother's familiar face, or Denji's misleading smile. Inuyasha just toddled along behind her, looking around him in mild interest, curiosity, or just boredom, she couldn't quite tell.

Then she saw them, playing out in the open grassy space on the left side of the path. Kagome made a strangled sound and quickly threw Inuyasha into the bushes and quickly followed.

"Ow!" he glared at her angrily.

She dropped down beside him the rhododendron bushes. "You ok?"

"My head broke my fall." He ground out, pushing himself up. No matter how strong he was, even a weakling like Kagome could still take him by surprise like that.

"Stop complaining, you're worse than me." She concentrated on peering through the bushes to where Denji and Souta were playing on the grass… with a dog…

"Um." She glanced back at Inuyasha who was removing his new hat to massage his ears. "We don't have a dog do we?"

"Besides me?"

"Yes."

"No." he glanced through the leaves to take a look. "You only have that fat cat, right?"

"Right." Kagome turned her eyes back to the dog. "Maybe it's a stray… with a collar… and a leash that happens to be attached to Souta's hand…"

"I don't think that's a stray, Kagome." He said and paused to think. "Ok. We done spying now? I wanna go back."

Kagome frowned and carried on watching her brother and Denji. They seemed at ease with each other… he wasn't bullying Souta or telling him he was fat or anything…

"Ok." Kagome stood up and pushed her way out of the bushes. She turned back to Inuyasha as he emerged after her. "I guess it's just me he doesn't like."

Inuyasha found that strangely hard to believe. Even he liked Kagome, and he had trouble liking many people, however impossibly nice they may be. As he watched her standing there, brushing her hands down over her clothes and the incredibly short skirt (surely that wasn't decent!) he couldn't help but notice how incredibly pale and sad she looked. She didn't look as happy as she normally did… something he didn't like to see. When Kagome was sad it usually meant something was amiss… and it made him feel uncomfortable.

"Don't cry." He told her hesitantly.

"What?" she looked at him with confusion. "I'm not going to cry… what made you say that?"

He quickly shrugged and back-stepped his mistake. "Brain tick… thing…"

"Right…" she nodded, with a worried expression. Her gaze wondered past him for a moment and she suddenly gasped and jumped. "Oh crud – they're coming this way!"

"What?" Inuyasha started turn towards the grassy pitch where Denji had been playing with Souta and the new dog, but Kagome grabbed his sleeve and pushed him behind a wide tree to hide him, then stood in front of him in an attempt to hide herself. She stood close… and even stepped closer since the tree wasn't that big. Inuyasha leaned back, getting slightly nervous of her proximity, but Kagome didn't seem to notice their closeness, or his discomfort.

She was all but radiating with fear.

When he realised it, it made him frown. Now her tremors had increased and it looked like she was shivering. Her eyes were wide and she was desperately trying to keep from being seen.

"Why are you so scared of this guy?" he asked after a moment.

Kagome darted her eyes up to meet his and smiled slightly. "I'm not scared of Denji… I never have been… it's just…" she swallowed hard. "I just don't want them to see me… I don't want Denji to know about you. I don't know what he'll do if he sees you…"

After a moment he decided she wasn't close enough. She could still be seen. So with a sigh he reached out and tugged her closer until her body was practically aligned and leaning against his. Inuyasha's arms loosely rested around her waist though her body was stiff as a board in her surprise. For a moment she did nothing but gape softly, wanting to protest, but her voice refusing to listen to her.

No, he was only helping her keep out of sight, she told herself as she forced herself to consciously relax against him, bringing her hands up to rest against his chest. 

But even when the danger had passed, they stayed like that a little while longer than was really necessary. 

^_^

Kagome sighed heavily as she stepped through the door of her home and stepped out of her shoes. She could hear small sharp yips sounding from somewhere within the house… probably the new family member, and she didn't mean Denji. 

"I'm home." She called wearily, and soon heard the sound of thundering footsteps upstairs.

"Kagome!" Souta yelled as he appeared on the landing and hurtled down the stairs with a brownish blur on his tail. "Kagome! Guess what Denji got me?!"

"A torture kit!" she said with pretended enthusiasm.

"Look!" he scooped up the bundle of fur and held it out for her to see. Kagome smiled genuinely when she saw the little terrier in his arms, wriggling and wagging it's tail like a mad thing.

"He's cute." She told her brother, giving the dog a scratch behind the ear. "Does Mom know?"

"She's the one who agreed Denji should get him yesterday. We picked him up from the pet shop this morning." Souta said, full of glee and energy.

"Yesterday? We decided this yesterday?" Kagome's smiled slipped a little, and the little dog started squirming to get her hand scratching again. "Why didn't I get told about this?"

"Dunno." Souta couldn't really care less, he was too busy hugging the new pet. "Oh – but Mom and Denji want to talk to you."

Kagome felt a prickle of foreboding run down her spine. "About?"

Souta suddenly broke out in a wide, almost evil and conniving grin. "Kagome and Yasha sitting in a tree – K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Kagome's blood ran cold as Souta ran off laughing, back up the stairs. "We saw you at the park!" he yelled as he went back to singing. "Kagome and Yasha, sitting in a tress, K-I-S-S-I…!"

She remained standing by the door, not believing what her ears were telling me. Then she winced when she heard her mother calling from the kitchen. "Kagome!"

"Damn… crap… hell… damn… hell…crap…" Kagome chanted as she headed towards the kitchen at the slowest pace possible of the human snail.

She arrived at the doorway and looked in, seeing them both sitting at the table with Denji's hand covering her mother's. Kagome had to fight the urge to run up and rip his hand off her mother. She swallowed her jealousy (if that was what it was) and raised her chin, half defiantly. "Yes?"

There was a beat of silence before Denji spoke up. "Your mother told me everything."

Kagome swallowed hard as she glanced at her mother for confirmation, seeing that it was true. For some reason she felt betrayed…

"I told you to hold off seeing your friends for a while." Her mother said slowly. "I wanted you to stay here and get to know your father."

"But I know my fath- oh… you mean…" Kagome glanced cautiously at Denji. Barely any emotion showed on his face.

"You weren't visiting a friend called Kikyo were you." He asked, though it wasn't really a question. "You were…down that well thing…"

Kagome stared at him hard. Was he really believing all the things he'd been told. Kagome knew for sure that if she was in his position… she wouldn't believe a word of it until she saw proof.

"I wouldn't have believed it myself until I saw that… _boy…_you were with." He sounded like he wasn't sure 'boy' was the correct term. "Me and your mother have been talking about this…"

"Your grades are dropping massively at school." Mrs Higurashi nodded slowly.

"You're entrance exams for your high school are coming up." Denji said sternly.

"You seem to have developed an attitude problem recently."

"So we've decided… you shouldn't be going back through that well anymore." Denji finished.

Kagome froze as she stared at him in disbelief. How could a total stranger… and total outsider come into her home and declare she wasn't allowed to get on with her life anymore! She was aware her jaw had dropped in shock. "You… you can't tell me to do that!"

"If it's affecting your performance at school we can." He said, squeezing her mother's hand on the table.

That urge to tear his hands off her came back strong again. "But – I _need _to go to the past! I can't just abandon it."

"You can give up travelling time, Kagome." Mrs Higurashi frowned at her daughter. "Besides, your friends can still visit you."

Denji shot his fiancée a sharp look and Kagome's mother seemed to change her mind. "Well… occasionally. Not often. I don't want them to distract you."

"But… Inuyasha's the only one who can visit me." Kagome said weakly. "What about Miroku… Sango… Shippo?"

"I'm sorry Kagome. Perhaps we'll work something out, but for now, I don't want any more time travelling. It's a frivolous little pursuit that's taking too much time away from your studies." Her mother told her sternly.

"It's not frivolous!" Kagome half laughed in disbelief of what she was being told. "My life there is important! I need to go there!"

"You don't!"

"I do!" Kagome argued. "I have to collect the Shikon shards for Inuyasha and-"

"That can wait, the shards aren't going anywhere." Her mother told her.

"Of course they are!" Kagome cried. "Demons pick them up and then they gain strength and then they go on killing rampages! I can't abandon my duty – I broke the damn jewel so I have to repair it before these monsters kill people with the shards!"

Right then, Kagome realised she'd gone too far. She'd never told her mother exactly what she'd done in the feudal era… she didn't want to worry her, or risk her mother putting an end to her trips down the well. The look of shock on her mother's face was priceless.

"What?" she gasped at Kagome.

"This is ridiculous." Denji shook his head with a snort. "Rampaging demons? Maybe in the fairy-tales, Kagome-chan, but not in real life."

"This is real!" Kagome defended herself. She was NOT about to let Denji make her out to be a liar. "I fight demons with my friends! We get the shards back and gather the jewel! That's what I do! That's why I can't just forget about going back there! People's lives are at stake here!"

"You never told me… this was what you do…" Mrs Higurashi stared at her daughter, looking slightly pale. "You lied to me…?"

"No." Kagome shook her head. "I never lied to you, I would never lie… I just… told a few white lies… and skimped on detail…"

"This is ridiculous…" Denji repeated.

"It's true!" Kagome cried out again. "And it's not just a matter of lives either. We're running out of time to stop this Hanyou named Naraku – if we don't stop him he could end more lives then all the shard enhanced demons in the Sengoku era!"

"You're making this up!" Denji shot at her.

"I'm not!" Kagome yelled, almost hoarsely. She looked at her mother. "You've seen Inuyasha – how can you not know this is true! He's not your average boy, is he?! He's a fighter – he's fighting with me and my friends right now! We fight Naraku and demons… but we always win… we're not in danger…"

"But… demons, Kagome!" Her mother still gaped at her. "God! How many times did I wash blood out of your uniform! It was always your blood! You could have been killed!"

Kagome had the imminent feeling she'd just made everything much worse for herself. Now there was no way they were going to let her continue her life in the past.

"This isn't just a story straight from the story books, Kagome!" Her mother stood up. "You're my little girl – how can you be so stupid as to risk your life like this?! And not tell me about it! You could have died and I would never see you again!"

"Inuyasha protects me!" Kagome tried to reason. "He's strong!"

"Your life is worth more than this to me!" Mrs Higurashi moved around the table to tug Kagome into a tight hug. "How can you do this without telling me… this is bleeding _dangerous _Kagome!"

"I know… but I have to do it… it's my duty…"

"Dear…" Denji stood up and looked meaningfully at Kagome's mother. "A moment alone, please?"

Her mother and her new 'father' looked at Kagome expectantly, and she realised she was being told to remove herself from the room so they could talk privately. She turned without a word and walked outside, but she only closed the door and didn't move from that spot. She had to know what they were saying about her.

"You can't honestly believe this can you…" Denji said somewhat contritely.

"She's telling the truth." Her mother responded grimly.

There was a long pause of silence, in which Kagome listened to the pacing of steps and a scraping of a chair as her mother must have sat down.

"How can this be real? Magic and all that nonsense… it's not real!" Denji exclaimed, making an effort to keep his voice down.

"It is… well, it is real down that well… I've seen things come out of there… you wouldn't believe." Her mother said weakly.

"Perhaps… but do you really think she's telling the truth about this 'duty' of hers?" he questioned. "Do you really think that if she doesn't go back the world will fall into chaos like she'll have you believe."

There was another drawn out silence. "I suppose… it is a little… unusual."

"She's blowing the whole situation out of proportion. I doubt any lives are resting on her shoulders." Denji admonished. "I've seen these cases in kids at school all the time."

"What do you mean?"

"Kids have it tough these days, Ayame." He told her. "Stuck in classes full of others like themselves, they begin to feel insignificant and unimportant. So they… like to make up little fantasies where they are the centre of the universe. Where they are important… They dream of fame and fortune. Or adventures where they are the hero…"

Kagome clenched her fists angrily.

"These little fantasies are harmless enough… everyone day dreams… but sometimes it can overwhelm a kid. They believe they are living their fantasies – or would at least have you believe they are. They pretend to be slaying monsters, pretend they are the saviours of the world… I admit that's outlandish. Most of the time they just do it for attention. They skip school and then come back and tell everyone they were involved in a secret rendezvous meeting with a secret boyfriend or something stupid. It's harmless… but with Kagome… I'm worried."

Kagome half wanted to march back in there and tell him how wrong he was. Did he think she enjoyed all this attention! She never told her friends at school about it! She didn't _crave _attention for anything. Her mother knew that – her mother knew she wouldn't lie about something as serious as life and death.

"Maybe you're right…" Her mother's soft reply almost made Kagome's knees buckle.

"Maybe she does go back in time… but I doubt she does any of the things she claims to do. She's just saying that to make herself seem more important in her fantasy. To talk you into letting her skip more school time."

"You're right… you're right…" Kagome's mother whispered. "But what can we do…?"

Denji spoke evenly, in a way that made Kagome's blood run cold all over again. Must have been the fifth time that day. "I know… the perfect solution…"

Kagome's eyes widened in horror.

__

He's going to seal up the well…

^_^

"This is unbelievable…" Kagome rolled her eyes as she laid back on the comfy couch, letting her sore foot take some well earned rest. "Of all the lame things to do…"

"Kagome, at least take your shoes off before you sit on my couch. Patients use that as well, you know." Her father told her as he leaned back in his chair with a notepad on his lap. "So… tell me what's the fuss about then? Why your mother wants you to have therapy."

"I was hoping you could tell me…" Kagome responded, turning her head to look at him.

"Huh?"

"I thought you could read my mind or something…"

"Kagome… I'm a psychiatrist… not a psychic…"

AN: Nope. I bet you all thought he would seal the well. Nah, that's too cliché. ^_^


	6. I'm Listening

AN: Been a while since I updated, sorry about that. Anyway, Soul Exchange's sequel is now up, entitled 'life exchange' – which was actually quite difficult to name! Surprisingly! Anyway, Denji isn't in this chapter, mainly because I'm building up to something later. Which will probably all kill you later with frustration…

Father Figure

I'm Listening…

Inuyasha dropped down from Kagome's window sill into her room and looked around with a frown. The room was tidy for once and the bed was made… she obvious hadn't been in here for at least six hours, otherwise the place would have been an organised tip. Her mother had obviously cleaned up. "Kagome?"

He checked to make sure she wasn't hiding under the bed or anything (you never know) before cautiously opening her bedroom door and peeking out onto the landing. He didn't fancy poking around the house, not since that fake dad bloke was hanging around today. But he still wanted to know where Kagome was.

He leaned over the banister and tried to listen intently to see if Kagome was around downstairs… he almost tipped over the railing when something wet started lapping at his bare foot.

"What the…" he gave a start and quickly backed away. Looking down, he saw a scruffy little black and brown dog try and follow his feet. "… hell is that thing?!"

"He's our new dog!" Souta bounced out of his room to sweep the small dog up. "You like him?"

"That's not a dog – that's an extremely hairy rat." Inuyasha rubbed his foot. "Ew… sloppy dog germs…"

"Do you see the irony in what you just said?" Souta star at him suspiciously. 

"Yes, I see the ironing." Inuyasha responded with a sigh. "Anyway, where's Kagome. I thought she'd be home now."

"Oh she's off with Dad."

"Which one?"

"The real one." Souta rubbed the small dog behind the ears, causing it to flop onto its back and allow Souta to scratch his belly. "She's off getting therapy."

"Therapy?" She'd talked about that before… what was it… pampering wasn't it?

"You know, bark like a chicken, walk like a dog, stuff?" Souta nodded knowledgeably. "It's 'coz she's crazy."

"Really? I never noticed."

"She won't be back for a while. You could always hang around the house if you want." Souta suddenly brightened. "You should meet Denji! He's so cool – you'll really like him!"

"Uh… perhaps another time." Inuyasha excused himself. "Where's this therapy thing taking place?"

"About ten minutes at Dad's apartment." Souta told him. "If you go down the main road and turn left at the lights and go down there – it'll be the block of white brick flats. It's hard to miss."

Inuyasha reckoned he had just better follow his nose…

^_^

"What do you see when you look at this picture?" Mr Higurashi asked, holding up a card with a few coloured blobs on it.

Kagome smiled. "A butterfly."

"Good girl." He held up another. "And this?"

"Two people shaking hands."

"And this?"

"Um… two birds taking flight."

"Very nice… and this last one?" her father held up the last card with red splurges of paint. 

"A flower – a poppy, with its petals lying around it."

"Very good." He set down the cards and smiled at his perfectly sane daughter. She was obviously just as nice and innocent as he'd thought, proved by that little exercise. "Ok, now I'm going to say some words and I want you to say the first thing that comes into your head, ok?"

"Ok."

"Right." He got his pen ready. "Tree."

Kagome's smile slipped. "Arrow."

He blinked at her. "Ok… insect."

"Demon centipede."

He stopped and stared at her. "Right…" he cleared his throat. "Love."

"Triangle."

"Courage?"

"The cowardly dog – I love that show!"

"That's not really what you're supposed to say." Her father pointed out.

"But it's the first thing that entered my mind." She protested, slumping further down on the coach. "Next word, please?"

He sighed. "Mother."

"Fool…" Kagome lowered her lashes.

"Father?"

"Fake."

"Brother."

"Annoying."

"Coward."

"Yellow."

"Christmas."

"Snow."

"Rivals."

"Mikos…"

"Birthday?"

"Presents."

"Valentine's day?"

"Lonely…" Kagome stared at the ceiling dully.

"Ok… I think that's enough of those for now." Her father said quietly, noting how… unusual… her answers had been. "So tell me why your mother sent you here, exactly?"

"Because…" Kagome twiddled her fingers. "She thinks I'm insane… or delirious."

"You don't seem insane or delirious, to me." He said fairly, clicking his pen as he listened to her. "Why does she think this?"

"Because… she thinks I'm making up stuff about… what I do." Kagome talked to the ceiling still.

"She _thinks _you make stuff up?" he cocked his head at her. "Is she wrong?"

"Yes. Very wrong." Kagome played with the hem of her jersey, nervously. "But… I don't think that was the only reason she made me talk to you…"

"What else is there?" her father asked gently.

"I…" She struggled for words. "I don't have… a very normal life… quite a few problems actually."

"Boy trouble?" he smiled knowingly.

"No." Kagome huffed indignantly, before thinking about it. "Actually… yes, I suppose that is one of the problems…"

"Let's talk about it." He sat forward. "What's his name?"

"Inuyasha…" she forced a laugh and tried to change the subject. "But I really don't think we need to talk about this trivial-"

"Kagome." Her father said so sharply she jumped. "Don't elude the topic. Tell me the trouble with the boy?"

"Well… he's…" she sighed and caved in, about to spill her heart when there was a knock at the door.

^_^

Inuyasha followed Kagome's trail all the way to the block of white brick apartments like Souta had said. It was a ten minute walk, but when you could jump tall buildings in seconds it only took about three minutes overall. No sooner had he walked into the foyer, but a woman looked up from the front desk and quickly set down her magazine. "Oh – you must be Mr Fujita's son, he rang ahead and told us you were coming."

"You what?" Inuyasha stared at the woman in mild confusion.

"He said you were an urgent case… that much was obvious." She gave him a quick once over, taking in his hair, clothes and ears. "Come right this way, Mr Higurashi said he would see you at once."

"Higurashi…?" Inuyasha echoed. Kagome's father.

"Come on, this way." The woman started up the stairs. Inuyasha didn't really have much other choice but to follow her. He was led along a route that Kagome seemed to have taken only a short while ago, and stopped at a doorway where her scent disappeared.

The woman knocked on the door formally.

"Come in." a man's voice called from within.

The woman opened the door and stepped inside. "Mr Higurashi – Mr Fujita's son is here for his session."

"Good, good, let him in."

The woman stood back for Inuyasha… though it took him a few moments to take the initiative and go inside. At once he spotted Kagome staring at him with a rather pale complexion, and a mild looking man in a suit turning to smile at him. "Hello Yoko, your father told me all about your special circumstances." His eyes flicked over Inuyasha's ears and hair before smiling again and standing up. "Excuse me, I'll just go talk to my agent – you can get acquainted with my daughter, Kagome."

Mr Higurashi walked out to talk to his agent – the woman who had brought Inuyasha in, leaving Inuyasha alone in the apartment with Kagome. For some reason she looked like she was growing angrier by the moment. "Yoko?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Hi – you must be Kagome." He stalked over to the couch she was perched on and gave her a sceptical look. "What the heck are we doing here?"

"We? What the hell are _you _doing here?"

"Following you?"

"What's with Yoko then?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I dunno. The woman mistook me for someone else I guess."

"Well… don't tell Dad you're Inuyasha." She said quickly, making him shoot her a quizzical look. "Don't ask – let's just say I haven't made you out to be a saint right now."

Inuyasha scowled and was about to demand what the hell she'd told her father, when Mr Higurashi came back in and smiled at them both. He closed his mouth… maybe he'd ask her afterwards.

"Take a seat." Mr Higurashi pointed to the coach Kagome was perched on. "I hope you got to know each other?"

"Yeah." Kagome said shyly, not really having to fake the nervous edge to her voice.

Inuyasha contained his smirk as he sat down next to her, a little too close and making her shuffle away from him.

"I believe you two might have a problem similar to one another." Mr Higurashi continued, oblivious to the exchange of glances they gave each other. "I think a joint session would really help you both out."

"Ok…" Kagome glanced again at Inuyasha who was still a little stumped as to what was going on.

"Ok, Yoko, I'm going to show you pictures, and I want you to tell me what you see." Mr Higurashi picked up the same cards he'd shown Kagome earlier. "Ok… first one, tell me what you see?"

Inuyasha stared at the picture before looking at Kagome's father. "I see the carcass of a pig, cut in half and its guts spread out everywhere."

Kagome cocked her head. "Oh yeah…" she hadn't seen that observation. She'd thought it was a butterfly.

"Right… ok…" Mr Higurashi set down the card slowly and lifted another. The one Kagome had said was two people shaking hands. "What do you see?"

Inuyasha cocked his head thoughtfully. "Two people connecting hands."

Mr Higurashi sighed with relief. Good, that was a normal observation.

"And the left guy is ripping the right guy's hand off. And that green stuff is blood dripping down."

Kagome was shaking her head. "That's just grasping at straws." She told Inuyasha.

"I'm just saying what I see." He replied with a casual shrug.

"Ok, next one." The two birds taking flight was next. "And this one?"

"Two heads being kicked into the air." Inuyasha observed,

"No, they're birds." Kagome argued.

"No – they're heads." He short back. "See the noses?"

"They're beaks!"

"Kagome, don't correct Yoko. What he sees isn't wrong." Her father scolded her.

"Yeah, that means what you see _is _wrong." Inuyasha smirked at her.

"She isn't wrong either, Yoko." Mr Higurashi admonished him as well.

Inuyasha grumbled and folded his arms. "That's just favouritism…"

"Ok, this is the last one. What do you see?" Mr Higurashi held up the last card,

"Um… a heart on a floor… and those are little splurges of blood around it." Inuyasha nodded. "Thought it could be a poppy… nah… that's too wussy."

"Ok." Mr Higurashi set down the cards a little hurriedly. "Now we're going to play the word game. You tell me the first thing that comes into your head when I say these words, ok?"

"Ok."

"Tree."

"Arrow."

Mr Higurashi darted a glance between him and Kagome, who was looking away with great interest at a lamp.

"Ok… Insect."

"Evil wasps."

"Love."

"Ramen?"

"Courage."

"Bags of it."

Kagome nearly elbowed him in the ribs for that. He just grinned as Mr Higurashi write it down thoughtfully. "Interesting… Mother?"

"What about her?" Inuyasha asked guardedly.

"No, just tell me what you think when I say 'mother'?"

"Plum blossoms…"

"Father."

"Dead."

"Brother."

"Soon to be dead."

"Coward."

"Deserves to be dead."

"Christmas." 

"Pudding." He remembered when Kagome had brought the stuff through the well as a treat. Tasted disgusting actually…

"Rivals."

"Wimpy Wolf…"

"Birthday."

"Um… anniversary?"

"Valentines Day?"

"Uh…" Inuyasha looked to Kagome for help, but she wasn't looking his way. "Futuristic?"

"Ok…" Mr Higurashi said slowly and finished his scribbled notes. Now here was the case of one very disturbed boy. He decided to set this one of the shelf while he dealt with Kagome first. "Now, just hold on a minute, Yoko, but I want you to listen to what Kagome says, this is important to help you as well."

Inuyasha sat back with folded arms and turned to watch Kagome expectantly, waiting for her 'words of wisdom'.

"Now, Kagome, you were telling me about your boyfriend Inuyasha?" Her father looked at her.

Kagome froze and stared in horror at her father.

"So tell me about it." He prompted.

Kagome darted a glance at Inuyasha who was looking at her curiously. He probably didn't understand the implications of 'boyfriend' anyway… 

"Um… he's… a great guy." Kagome managed to sum up lamely.

"Yes, but you said you were having a problem with him."

She felt Inuyasha snap a glare on her and she blanched. "I really didn't mean that…"

"It's ok – I think Yoko can relate." Her father nodded at Inuyasha. "He has relationship troubles too."

"I do?" Inuyasha blinked.

"Girlfriend giving you bother?" Kagome asked dryly.

Her father shook his head. "Boyfriend actually."

The silence settled over the three. Kagome was trying very hard no to burst out laughing, whilst Inuyasha gaped openly at Mr Higurashi. The older man carried on regardless. "If you share your concerns over your boyfriend, Kagome, I'm sure Yoko will benefit as well."

That wiped the grin off her face like nothing else could. "My concerns… over Inuyasha…?" Her father nodded, and she glanced sideways at Inuyasha again. "Well… he's… atwotiminggitwhodoesn'tappreciatethetimeidevotetohimanddoesn'tevenonceconsidermyfeelingswhenwespendtimetogetherandeverytimeheseeshisex-girlfriendhe'llalwaysleavemeinthelurchtogoseeifsheneedshelp."

She inhaled deeply when she was finished, dragging in that well needed oxygen. Beside her, Inuyasha's hand dropped limply to the couch and she rushed on. "But enough about that – let's talk about my _other_ much _larger_ problems."

"By all means – but our session just ran out." He sighed and looked at his watch. "You'll have to save them till next time."

Kagome sighed with deflation. If Inuyasha hadn't come along maybe she would have been able to tell her father about Denji… and she'd been working up the courage especially for it.

Her father stood up and all but ushered them towards the door. "Now I just have to go tell the parents of two twins some good news and bad news."

"Let me guess, good news; they're cured, bad news: the cost?" Kagome asked dryly as she followed Inuyasha out the door.

"Nope. Good news: they're sexually active." Her father corrected.

"Then what's the bad news?"

"With each other."

"Ew." Inuyasha and Kagome grimaced as the door closed behind them. Life was really like a soap opera with her father…

She turned to tell Inuyasha so when she caught the heated glare he was shooting her. Her voice died in her throat at once. He raised a finger, opening his mouth to berate her when he shot a glance to her father's door and shut it again. Obviously her father was still within ear shot. Instead he forced himself to lower his finger. "You. Me. Sengoku Jidai. _Now!_"

She winced and followed him obediently as he stormed his way over to the window at the end of the hall and waited, still angry, for her to grab on so they could leave in the unconventional way. She didn't look forward to what lay ahead…

AN: And we'll be back with Denji next chapter ^_^


	7. At The Movies

AN: Less humour in this chapter I'm afraid. 

****

Father Figure

At the Movies

"Inuyasha – I really don't think I should be here." Kagome called urgently as she staggered after his lead, held firmly by the wrist.

"We are going to have a little talk and then you are going to stay the night in Kaede's hut until your common sense returns." He ground out, pushing aside the low hanging branches as he dragged her through the forest.

"I can't be here, Inuyasha!" she ducked as a branch whipped towards her. "If my mother finds out I'm gone then Denji will seal the well!"

"Good! Then you'll be stuck here where you belong!"

"I can't stay here!" She grabbed a tree with her free hand, effectively managing to anchor herself so his hand slipped off her wrist. "They'll be mad at me if I stay here!"

"Well maybe it's time you gave up that stupid time!" He turned to regard her angrily. "You always like to go off and say I'm so unfair and that I don't consider your feelings! Well I do! Any blind fool can see that this Denji guy is making you miserable, so why are you even putting up with it?! Stay here!"

"I can't!" she yelled back.

"Why not?! You have Sango and Shippo! And to an extent you have Miroku." And as an after thought he remembered. "You have me as well!"

"Yes, I know you'll all look after me and love me like a family." Kagome pushed the hair back out of her face as she regained her composure. "But I don't belong here."

"Then make yourself belong!"

"It's not that simple!" she scowled.

"Why isn't it? Stop being a weak little girl and don't put up with that guy! Come here and we'll all take care of you!" he flexed his claws angrily.

"You think I'm weak because I'm not running away?" she demanded. "If I run away that is letting him win and admitting that he upsets me! Besides – while I may hate Denji – I can't abandon my family just because of him! Despite taking his side, they've done nothing wrong! I can't just walk away and leave them with that guy! Souta doesn't understand what Denji's doing – Mom is too in love to realise and Grandpa is so oblivious to the real world to notice anything! If I leave they'll all be heart broken and they won't understand why I ran away!"

Inuyasha's hand came out to grip a tree branch, leaning against it with a closed expression as he contemplated her words.

Kagome sighed and straightened. "I'm not a coward for facing my problem. It's not your problem, so you shouldn't get so worked up about it."

She heard a soft growl from him, as good a sign of defeat as any. She'd won this argument. "Now I have to go back before they miss me. We're going to the movies tonight so I have to be back on time."

She turned and started walking away. As soon as he was behind her she let her expression fall, wishing with all her soul that she could stay here and just leave her problems behind her. But she still loved her family… she couldn't leave them to Denji.

"Why did you tell him all that stuff?"

She turned suddenly, seeing Inuyasha with his arms folded and glowering at her. "What?"

"Your father. You told him I don't appreciate you. That I two-time you and that I always leave you to go chase Kikyo." His frown deepened. "Why?"

Her gaze slid to the forest floor. "Because… that's how I feel… or… how I think you feel…"

"Kikyo's dead. I can't run to her to help her (though we'll wait to see if that sticks…). And how can I two-time you when we aren't even together?"

He turned and stalked back to the village without her. Leaving Kagome with that verbal slap in the face.

"Ow…" she said with feeling. She stared after him a moment before turning slowly and making her way back towards the well, not feeling as victorious as she had a moment ago.

^_^

"Mom – we need to talk!" Kagome said as she marched through the front door. Her mother appeared in the kitchen doorway whilst she heard Souta yell from the front room. "Is she clucking like a duck yet?!"

"How's your first session go, dear?" Her mother smiled warmly, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Pointless." Kagome huffed. "Therapy isn't going to help, mom."

"Well it's either that or sealing up the well." Her mother shrugged and went back into the kitchen. Kagome remained speechless for a moment at her mother's flippancy with the matter, before marching straight after her.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this!" Kagome began ranting. "Nothing has changed about what I do in the past, I collect shards and fight demons – the same things I've been doing for ages – then all of a sudden I need therapy for it? I don't need it! I'm not making it up and I'm not going crazy either!"

"Kagome, dear, Denji and I have discussed this to great length and we've decided the well just isn't healthy for you. It's taken you away from your studies and your family – we have to put our foot down somewhere."

"But why now? Because Denji told you to?" Kagome glared at her.

"No. I've been thinking about it for some time before we talked about it. I just want to… wean you off going to the past. I'm worried that if you stay in the past too long then one day you won't come back. I don't want to lose my only daughter that way." Her mother sighed and set down the dish she'd been drying. "Disappearing from existence… you'll be five hundred years in the past… if you leave for good then I how am I supposed to deal with the fact that my daughter died five hundred years ago in the Sengoku Jidai? Died along with the likes of Oda Nabunaga or Uesugi Kenshin?"

Kagome was quiet for a moment. "I won't leave like that… I won't leave… but why can't you see that right now I _need _to be in the Sengoku Jidai. We have a debt that I need to repay to Inuyasha and my friends. Don't you understand that they're my friends? I can't just give up on them, the same way I won't give up on you guys either… you're all family to me."

Mrs Higurashi sighed again and turned to face her daughter wearily. "I understand that the friends you have through the well seem to be good ones… and I swear that when your exams are over and when you get a placement in a good high school then you can spend as much time as you want in the past… but until then… I want you to study and stay here. It'll only be for a few months."

Kagome frowned at her mother. "You want me to get into a good high school, just so I can skip it to be in the past?"

"High school education doesn't matter." Her mother shook her head. "As long as it's set in stone that you went to a good high school, then it'll look good on your CV's and credentials if you ever want a good job or a good university, dear."

"But my friends-"

"Can wait a few months to have you back. If they were good friends they would understand." Mrs Higurashi suddenly frowned. "Besides, Denji isn't too comfortable about this whole time travelling thing so I'd prefer you'd stay away from the well until he'd used to it."

"He's get used to it a whole lot faster if I did it more often." Kagome said dryly. "And you know how antsy Inuyasha gets when I don't go see him. He'll come and drag me back by my hair… how average will that look to Denji?"

"I don't like your tone of voice, Kagome." Her mother warned slightly sharply. "Inuyasha is not to come here to drag you back. If he does – you can just send him back where he came from. I will not have you distracted from your studies."

Kagome's fists clenched against the pleats of her skirt and she was about to voice how she felt about that arrangement when she heard the front door go and Denji entered. "I'm home!" he called. Kagome's blood ran cold out of automatic reaction to his voice alone.

Mrs Higurashi's face lit up with a smile as she moved past Kagome to embrace the man. Kagome bitterly wondered how he'd managed to do it… managed to become the only person in the world that could make her mother's face light up like that. Before, Kagome could have done it. Souta could have done it. Grandpa was more likely to make her frown but she could still smile for him too. But now she smiled for no one but Denji…

Selfish bastard…

Kagome winced inwardly at her own thoughts, once more wondering if she was being paranoid. But she quickly remembered she wasn't paranoid… he was the one that was making everyone believe she was crazy. He was the one who had done nothing when she'd cut her foot and he was the one who was managing to exclude her from family decisions… such as getting the new dog.

Now Kagome's school friends had heard from her Grandpa that she was getting therapy… they'd called her, obviously concerned for her sanity if the rumours were anything to go by. 

"Denji?" Souta came scampering out of the living room with the pup at his heels. "Are we gonna go see that film tonight?"

"Tonight… or now?" he smiled and looked at his watch. "There's a showing in about half an hour down at the theatre. If we hurry we can make it in time and miss the adverts at the beginning."

"Or find it's fully bucked and wait around for the night showing in four hours." Kagome's mouth slipped out before she'd had time to realise what she was saying. Souta rolled his eyes at her whilst Denji and her mother gave her slightly annoyed looks. They could have just let it pass by but what stung Kagome the most was the way her mother spoke in that gentle, slightly hurt voice. "Don't be like that, Kagome."

She bit down on the inside of her cheek and turned away so they didn't see her embarrassed flush. Great… now she felt guilty that she was being rude to her step father. What a laugh… he wasn't even technically her step father. That was only if he married her mother… and that wasn't exactly a sure thing right then.

"Alright kids, get your coats, we're going!" Denji called.

Kagome heard Souta's enthusiastic cry of "Yeah!" followed by her mother chuckling as they went out the front door. Kagome grabbed her coat from the stand and looked down at the little dog that was yipping at her feet, intent on following her out the door after the others. She sighed and crouched down to scratch him behind the ears, causing his tail to wag so hard his back end wiggled with it. She couldn't help but smile. "You're the lucky one… you get to stay here…" he yipped at her again and she stood. "If Inuyasha comes by tell him he can go sit himself for that comment about our relationship." She nodded at the dog firmly.

"Kagome?!" Her brother called from outside, obviously impatient. "We'll miss the film – come on!"

"Bye… whatever your name is…" she didn't quite remember as the waved and carefully shut the door after her as she left the house.

^_^

"Damn… I was sure he was going to bring Kagome back with him this time." Sango breathed with dismay as they saw Inuyasha stomping towards the hut, alone, and with one of his favourite scowls painted on his brow.

"She still doing 'exams'?" Shippo hopped up onto Miroku's knee as the Hanyou neared.

"No. Just honouring her family." He replied sarcastically. "Stupid bitch doesn't seem to realise that we need her more than that school does!"

"How would you know?" Miroku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because!" Inuyasha floundered for an excuse. "I just do! It's not like she's ridding her world of demons and collecting pieces of some kind of… Ichikon no Tama!"

"Was that a pun?" Sango asked flatly.

"No it was not a pun!" he snapped. "If I was joking you'd all be laughing! I was merely pointing out the unlikely event of Kagome saving the world in her era!"

"Be cool if she was saving the world though…" Shippo mused to himself more than anyone else. He received a cuff around the head from Inuyasha anyhow. "Hey!"

"Shut up. You don't know nothing. You're just a kid." He said bitterly and turned to stomp back into the forest, probably to find a tree for the night.

It was a long time before anyone spoke. Sango blinked lightly as she raised her eyebrows. "He had a fight with Kagome didn't he?"

"Uh…" Miroku thought about it. "When do they not have a fight at a time like this?"

"Mm." Sango grunted and picked herself up off the porch to head back inside, out of tradition alone her hand came out and batted his hand that had been reaching for her behind. "Give it a rest you praetorian priest."

"That's a new one." Shippo told him helpfully.

^_^

The typical family film. A predictable, tired plot, more action than actual story, more good looking men and women than was normal in every day life, and a romantic subplot that had been contrived and thrown together at the last minute to get the film industry to take up the idea. Basically, it was a lame film, the acting was too dramatic and overdone to be good acting. The dialogue was beyond cliché… Kagome had just rolled her eyes and stared at the green 'fire exit' sign for a good five minutes after the heroine had screamed 'Don't do it, Jack! Don't jump!' in that heart felt way only a porn star could muster.

Oh look – now here came the bit where the main guy's sister and the sidekick had their smooching moment. Kagome rolled her eyes yet again and glanced further along her row to the rest of her family. Her mother was enraptured, Souta was making a face at the kissing on the screen and Denji, who she had been forced to sit next to, was as usual, pretty impassive in his quiet moments.

She turned her attention back to the screen with a tiny sigh and wished that right then she could have been sitting in a cold hut, gathered around the small fire with her friends and Inuyasha.

Now there was a thought… when had she begun to separate Inuyasha from the same category as her friends? Why was it always Inuyasha and her friends? Not Sango and her friends? Or Shippo and her friends or even Miroku and her friends?

She then had to roll her eyes mentally at herself. _Because he's not your friend. He's more than that. 'Friend' doesn't cover what he means to you…_

She was better off saying 'why couldn't she be gathered around a small fire with her friends and the love of her life?'

__

Don't kid yourself, Kagome, she told herself bitterly. He said himself that there is nothing between them… he meant it. _No point… thinking… bad…_

Her train of thought careened off its tracks and was forgotten at once as she felt rather than saw Denji's hand slip past the arm rest between them and settle on her knee. Her eyes snapped down to where his hand rested as her entire being stiffened up. She couldn't move… she couldn't find the air to breathe for that matter. Her entire focus was on the hand that was now gently squeezing her thigh, moving in a gentle but firm caress.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see him continuing to watch the screen like nothing was happening. A hot rush of anger seemed to clash with an even stronger flash of cold fear and loss. What did she do?

Stand up and scream? Slap him? Do nothing? Wave to her mother and point at her knee? No… she was too afraid… not of Denji, but of what they would all think of her…

And since doing nothing was clearly not an option either, she did it the cowardly way. She tore herself out of her seat and out of his reach and stumbled along the row of seats to reach the aisle, not bothering to apologise for the feet she stepped on. She could feel Souta and her mother turn and watch her back in surprise. She even heard her mother whisper none too quietly. "Where's she going?"

And she could almost feel the shrug Denji offered her. How dare he…

Kagome had never been so sure she hated anyone so much in her entire life. Her knee burned as she all but ran down the steps in the dark theatre and out into the brightly lit corridor outside. Instinctively she headed to the only place she knew she could hide out for a while without being disturbed or questioned… the ladies room.

Fortunately nobody else was in the brightly lit white bathroom. They were all too busy watching films to redo their makeup or spruce up their hair whilst they gossiped about this and that. It meant she could have a little time to herself, stare at her pale reflection, enunciated by the stark light above her head.

She leaned back against the sinks for support as she looked down at her knee, as if expecting it to be contaminated or blackened by evil or something. She wouldn't have been too surprised if it had been… it felt dirty…

She didn't cry or get angry… instead she calmly took a few paper towels from the dispenser and dabbed them in a little water from the taps. She spent the next few minutes scrubbing her knee, washing it with soap and scrubbing it again. She hadn't understood why all those women who'd been molested or raped sat themselves in showers for hours on end claiming to be 'unclean'. She'd always thought it was stupid, and a sign of weakness. What good did it do to scrub away at invisible dirt and cry that you'd never be clean again?

But now she understood in a way. It wasn't the fact that her knee was literally dirty or covered in Denji germs… in fact right then she could have eaten her dinner off that knee. It was the fact that he'd touched her… seared a mark on her that didn't show on the skin, but it was there. No matter how much she washed and tried to wipe away the sensation of his cool, callused hand on her thigh she could still remember the touch… the sickening feeling in her stomach that accompanied it… the fact that he'd _gotten away with it_!

She ought to tell someone straight away. Her mother. Her grandfather. The police. Her _real _father. But even though she knew she should… she also knew she wouldn't. She couldn't…

Why? Because she was too embarrassed.

Was that a good excuse? No. It was a pathetic excuse. She didn't know what there was to be embarrassed about… before girls in this kind of situation annoyed her. Embarrassed? What for? For being violated and assaulted? For being harassed? For doing nothing wrong apart from being a victim? They kept it all to themselves because they were too 'embarrassed' and 'ashamed'. Kagome had thought it was because they were afraid people would think they were sluts, or whores.

But she didn't feel as though she was a slut or a whore… and she certainly didn't think anyone else would assume as much. But she was still embarrassed. She hadn't understood before, and she still didn't…

Maybe she was ashamed to tell someone… that they'd pity her and coddle her. Or maybe she was afraid to tell someone because subconsciously she thought they would be disgusted with her. Or perhaps it was because of something as lame as not wanting people to think about her knee or any other part of her anatomy for that reason.

But a stronger shame surrounded the fact that she had been vulnerable to this. A strong girl wouldn't have let this happen… she was weak… she was a coward.

"Just like Inuyasha said…" she whispered to her miserable reflection.

Suddenly the door open and a flood of women entered the bathroom, having just watched the ending of whatever film they'd come to see. Now everyone had drunk their cokes and were dying for the bathroom… the rest just needed to check if their lip stick was still there.

The women crowded around her, not really noticing the lone girl as they peered over her at their images. Kagome lowered her head and slipped past them to exit the bathroom without a fuss. Where to go now?

The answer was obvious. She couldn't go back inside the theatre… so she had no choice but to go home. And even that wasn't such a tempting idea. But where else could she go? Through the well? No… she was still mad at Inuyasha for being such a jerk after their little therapy session.

She walked out of the theatre without much hindrance and hugged herself to spite the cold. She'd left her jacket back on her seat beside Denji… no point going back to fetch it. She'd survive a little chill…

Normally she'd be preoccupied with being paranoid about street thugs or drunks when it was this dark… she'd never let herself walk home alone in the dark. But for some reason she felt a little empty. Unable to cry, unable to get angry… just… only able to feel like a pathetic idiot. Inuyasha would have a field day if he saw her. He wouldn't hesitate to point out how stupid she was, how ridiculous she was being in not telling anyone.

Maybe it was best to keep quiet. Maybe Denji wouldn't do it again? Perhaps it was just a one time thing? Maybe he'd even mistaken her for her mother in the dark? Well… whatever it had been, there was no point dwelling on it.

But as soon as she got home she went straight to her room without bothering to turn on the lights as she flopped face down on her bed and buried her face in her pillow. She still didn't cry. She just lay there until she fell asleep, dwelling on it all.

She didn't know what time it was when she felt a hand shaking her shoulder lightly, waking her from her deep sleep. She turned over and saw her mother's anxious face hovering over her. "Kagome, don't scare us like that! You just disappeared – you could have been abducted."

"Sorry…" Kagome mumbled, still half asleep.

"Where did you go? You just walked out in the middle of the film." Her mother frowned.

"I didn't feel well… so I came home."

Her mother sighed and felt her forehead. "You should have told us you were leaving… did you walk home in the dark?"

"No… I bumped into Hojo… he walked me back…" She lied, seeing no point in worrying her mother.

"You're a little warm." Her mother stated, holding a hand against her own forehead for measure. "Get some rest then dear, you have to be up early on Sunday morning."

"Why?" Kagome squinted slightly.

"Your father has another therapy session with you remember?" Her mother straightened and pulled up the covers around her daughter. "He called earlier. He wants you to bring your new friend Yoko with you, he says you two really help each other out."

Kagome grunted at what she thought of that idea.

"Do you still feel off?" Her mother asked.

Kagome nodded. It wasn't a lie… she did feel sort of ill right then.

"Get some sleep, dear, I'll wake you in the morning to see if your up for the therapy." Mrs Higurashi kissed her forehead gently and set down Kagome's coat at the end of the bed. "See you in the morning."

"Night." Kagome replied dully, listening to the sound of the door close in her mothers wake. Outside in the corridor she heard Denji's voice speak.

"What's the matter with her?" he asked, playing the part of the doting father figure. Ah… now there was that little surge of anger she'd been searching for…

"She's ill, that's all." Her mother said gently. There was no more talking after that.

Kagome sunk down deeper against the bed, pulling the covers over her head and allowed the sleep to claim her easily enough. 

__

I wonder what Inuyasha would do if he found out… Was her last complete thought before she drifted off.

AN: Um… next chapter may take a while to come out. I'm a little tied down with Chemistry course work right now I'm afraid. 


	8. Role Playing

AN: I know some people might think Kagome's being a bit weak willed through all this and in a way I have to agree, but I don't think that fighting demons in the past has toughened her up any for something like this. Being attacked physically by a demon is completely different from being attacked emotionally by someone close in the family. And being a miko's reincarnation isn't going to help either – because Kagome's isn't actually a miko – unless I've been missing something, Kagome has never received training which is probably why her powers are latent and not fully developed like Kikyo's. 

And as for not telling anybody about Denji… it's hard to understand how difficult it is to be in that kind of situation unless you've been in it yourself.

****

Father Figure

Role Playing

She looked just like an angel. An angel with bags under her eyes, marks on her cheek from where she'd been lying face down on the crumpled pillow, and hair sticking every which way after walking through the cold breeze the night before. Still angelic though.

Inuyasha watched her for a moment before reaching out for her glass of water beside the bed, and tipped it over her face with gracious care. Slowly Kagome's nose wrinkled, but she only turned over, despite her wet hair and face, and proceeded to fall back to sleep. He sighed deeply and poked her in the ribs through her duvet. "Kagome. Kagome get up. I'm bored stiff. I wanna talk to you. Wake up already you lazy cow."

"In a minute…" she mumbled thickly.

"I'll give you three seconds."

"Ten minutes." She grouched, on her way to waking up properly anyway.

"Thirty seconds."

"Twenty minutes."

"You're not supposed to go higher. Ain't you ever haggled before?" he didn't wait for an answer. Instead he grabbed her wrists and started dragging her out of bed. Then he noticed something strange when she was halfway onto the floor. "Why're you wearing the same clothes as yesterday?"

"Huh?" she looked down at herself blearily. "Oh… didn't change…"

"That's not like you." He scowled, dropping her wrists so she flopped to the floor with a squeak. "You awake now?"

"Oh, just a bit." She sighed, righting herself and sitting on the floor to rub her eyes. For a moment she wondered why such a heavy feeling was weighing on her chest… until she remembered with miserable clarity the events of the night before. Oh yes… Denji…

Her silence seemed to annoy Inuyasha further. He folded his arms and glowered down at her. "Look… about what I said yesterday."

"What about it?" she struggled to remember anything other than Denji and her knee.

"When I said… you looked upset… I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out that harsh." He dropped his gaze to his folded arms. Kagome gave him a sour look. _Yes, but you still meant it, _though she kept that comment to herself. "I'm sorry, I hope you forgive me and that you'll come back and play with Shippu – I mean – Shippo."

Kagome eyed him suspicious before suddenly standing up and tearing his hand out so she could see it. "Miroku wrote your lines on your hand?!" she threw it back at him. "That's beyond pathetic. Can't you be sincere about anything?!"

"I apologised didn't I?" he snapped.

"No – you just insulted my intelligence again!" she shot back as she stormed out of her room, heading for the bathroom. 

"What the hell crawled up her butt?" He grumbled to himself and sat on the bed, absently wiping off the ink on his hand. Well he'd tried hadn't he? She would usually commend him for that much… Obviously it was her problem – not his. Didn't she remember how useless he was with words. He _needed _to write down an apology before he said it. 

Although… was it him… or did her already scrawny wrists seem a little scrawnier than usual? He stood for a while trying to mimic the way he'd grabbed her wrists, frowning in deep thought…

He must have been a slow thinker, because he was still thinking about it by the time Kagome came back into her room wearing a new set of clothes and a towel around her head. She shot him a tight-lipped look before moving to sit before her dresser to comb her hair. "You still here?"

"I think so." He discreetly tried to find what was different about her that morning. It wasn't just her mood… but her clothes. Normally she liked her skirts short and her blouses revealing… why the dark coloured trousers all of a sudden? And what was with the baggy shirt? All of a sudden, bouncy Kagome looked like drab Kagome… Strange…

"Oh yeah." Kagome suddenly looked at him through their reflections in the dressing table mirror. He didn't fail to notice how dark her eyes seemed… shadowed. "I have to go to another session with Dad. He wants Yoko to come too."

"Which one?"

"The real one." Kagome turned her attention back to her wet hair. "But I doubt Yoko has turned up to therapy otherwise Dad would have said something to my Mom and she would have figured it out. You should come along."

"Ugh…" he rolled his eyes at that idea. "And do what? Look at more stupid blobs of paint and play mind games? What is it supposed to achieve anyway?"

"Peace of mind." She said flatly. "It's supposed to work out your problems and relieve stress."

"Abstract." He snorted. "I'll stick to battering demons and Naraku as my form of stress relief. And I already know my problems – I don't need some smiley guy telling them to me."

"He doesn't tell them to you. He helps you _deal _with them. God knows you have more than me." She gave him a sharp look. "And my father is not 'smiley'."

"Of course he is. He takes after you. Or…" he thought about that. "You take after him."

She leaned over to set down her comb and pick up some mousse. It caused the baggy shirt to stretch over her form and Inuyasha watched like a hawk, frowning when he saw how prominently her back bone stood out with her ribs. She noticed his intense gaze and stopped. "What?"

"Nothing." He faked disinterest and turned away to inspect her digital alarm clock.

"Then don't stare." She said primly.

That cold tone made him freeze and he nearly laughed in disbelief. He turned to look at her and saw her messing around with her hair, avoiding his gaze. "What the hell is the matter with you? You're normally the only person in the world who is civil in the morning – what happened to make you turn like everyone else?!"

She flinched slightly and he saw anger and something like despair flash across her expression. "Nothing. I'm allowed to get pissed off sometimes, aren't I?"

"No – because you're Kagome."

"Meaning?!"

"Meaning – I have no idea what we're talking about anymore!" he snapped.

She sighed and dropped her hands from her hair. "Alright, I'm ready. Let's go see Dad."

"What about your breakfast?" he asked sharply. "You always eat when you wake up."

"I'm not hungry." She shrugged indifferently.

"Since when?"

"Since every time I eat in this house I have to sit opposite Denji." She said with clenched fists. "I can't stand that guy."

"So eat elsewhere."

"I don't want to get into this. Let's just go." She said in that tone that announced the end of an argument, conversation or discussion. Inuyasha frowned, still completely stumped to her attitude.

She perked up slightly, the further they got away from the house, but he still didn't understand what the matter was. He was going to drag it out of her one way or another.

^_^

"Ok – firstly I want to start off by talking to you separately, Kagome." Her father crossed his legs and glanced across at Inuyasha. "Are you sure he can't hear us?"

"Nah." Kagome looked at Inuyasha beside her who was bobbing his foot to some tune in his head and looking off into space – the French hat he's stolen was firmly secured over his ears. "Hey Yoko – that's a wig on your head isn't it?" she called loudly.

After a few delayed moments he seemed to realise he was being spoken to. "What?!" he called back just as loudly.

"I said that's a wig on your head isn't it?!"

"Yeah – an hour before midday!"

He went back to staring off into space and Kagome turned back to her father with a wry smile. "See?"

"Very well." He shifted slightly in his seat, hands rested against the clipboard in his hand. "I wanted to ask you… how do you feel towards your mother for sending you to me?"

A straight question that required a complicated answer. Kagome wasn't sure she wanted to tell him… but she probably should. If not for him being her therapist – but he was also her father. She could confide things in him. "Betrayed I guess…" she started quietly. "I mean, you'd think she'd have more faith in me. After fifteen years of getting to know each other you'd think she'd know better than to cart me off to psycho therapy the minute she doubts me."

"Mm." He smiled in that fatherly way that was also a slightly detached smile of a doctor. "And what about Denji? Your mother tells me that you aren't entirely happy with him…"

"Because I'm not."

"Why's that then?"

"Because…" Kagome paused as she searched for the right answer, Inuyasha's bobbing foot was beginning to distract her. He could probably hear… but she didn't really care. "I don't know…" she said finally, before turning the psyche one on one on him. "Have you met him?"

"Yes. Nice guy." He laughed slightly. "Though I have to say he irritates me a bit."

"Really?" Kagome looked up at him hopefully.

"But I guess it's pathetic to say I don't like him because he's too good looking and well mannered." Her father shrugged. "Nah, he's a nice guy."

Kagome's sudden courage to tell her father failed her. If so many people could vouch for Denji's kindness and goodness… then she was outnumbered and bested. Who'd believe her?

"So why don't you like him?" her father asked again."

"Would you hate me if I said it was because he was better looking than you?" she gave a small embarrassed laugh… completely forced. "Lame reason. New dad isn't supposed to be cooler than the old one."

"I am cool."

"So says your Southpark tie."

He smiled, but was watching her seriously. "Is that it?"

She nodded with hesitation, hoping the doubt didn't show on her face. Why couldn't she tell him the truth? Why couldn't she tell anyone the truth? Her common sense and reason was telling her to pull herself together and do the sensible thing… but some other, larger part of her being was telling her to just leave it alone. Don't make a big deal and it won't get blown out of proportion…

"Ok. Yoko can come back now." Her father nodded and she reached over to whip the hat off Inuyasha's head. He started slightly and darted a look between the two of them.

"You done yapping now?" he asked.

"Yep. Kagome?" Mr Higurashi looked to his daughter again. "Would you mind getting some ice? If there isn't any in the machine outside, go to Soichi in reception and she'll get some for you."

Kagome started to protest. "But"

"Doctors orders." He pointed to his glass of water. "Drinks too warm – now go be a dear and take your time."

It was a pointed request if there was any. She shot a worried look to Inuyasha who had that 'oh dear, I'm in trouble' expression on his face. She got slowly to her feet and padded quietly to the door, fetching her shoes and sending one last daunting look back into the room before slipping out into the corridor.

Mr Higurashi had patiently waited until she was gone before speaking to 'Yoko'. "Don't look so worried. I'm not going to eat you."

"I wasn't worried about that…" Inuyasha shifted slightly, on edge all of a sudden. "More like… you _chewing me_ out actually…"

"You know Kagome outside of these sessions don't you?" her father said so casually it took a few seconds for the impact to hit Inuyasha.

"What are you talking about?" he contrived to look surprised. "I don't know-"

"You arrived together." Mr Higurashi cut in. "It kinda gave you away,"

"Ah…"

"So how do you know each other?"

"Um… we… work together…" Inuyasha grappled for a reasonable excuse, cursing his lack of understanding of this age. "Regularly… doing this and that…"

"School work?"

"Yes!" Inuyasha agreed hastily, glad to be given an excuse.

"And tell me…" The older man leaned forward slightly. "Have you noticed anything strange about Kagome lately."

Inuyasha blinked at him. Should he say? Was it his place to say…? "Yes…"

"She seems… reclusive suddenly. She wasn't like that when she came to my apartment a few weeks ago." He frowned. "Do you know what the matter is?"

It was either Denji's fault… or his own fault. He didn't know which. "I don't know… but she seems moodier… and have you seen her clothes?"

"Very scruffy."

"That's what I thought." Inuyasha shrugged.

"A phase I hope…" Mr Higurashi concluded and Inuyasha prayed it was nothing more than that. "Ok. Back on topic – tell me more about this boyfriend of yours."

Inuyasha froze and cursed repeatedly in his head. Now what? "What… do you want to know?"

"You're father told me you were having relationship problems… that you were torn between him… and a rather good friend of yours – a girl." Mr Higurashi said. "A love triangle as it might be called."

"Ok…" Inuyasha nodded slowly.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you might not be gay?"

"Yes. Many times." He nodded with conviction. "Definitely. Yes."

"So… might you have feelings for your friend too?"

"Didn't say that."

"So you love your boyfriend."

"Didn't say that either."

"Well," Mr Higurashi blinked in surprise. "Tell me the name of the girl then."

__

Don't say Kagome…Sango, Kikyo, Kaede, Nazuna – anyone – but don't say Kagome! "Ka – I mean… I don't know…"

"You don't want to tell me?"

"Nazuna. Her name is Nazuna." Inuyasha said quickly."

"I see." Mr Higurashi noted something down on his clipboard. "And how long have you known her?"

"Not long… a few months… nearly a year… seems like forever though." He frowned down at a coffee stain on the low table between them.

"And how long have you known your boyfriend."

"Fifty years."

"Fifty?" he looked up in surprise.

"Fifteen! I said fifteen!" God, keeping up with therapy was hard…

"Right. So you've known your boyfriend for most of your life."

"Actually… in this case, it seems like I've known… him… the shortest time – but technically the longest."

"I don't understand."

"Me neither. That's ok." Inuyasha shrugged.

"And this girl, Nazuna…" Kagome's father tapped his pen. "You like her in a romantic way."

"No."

"So you don't have a love triangle."

"No we do…"

"So you do like this girl?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Then what are you trying to say?"

Inuyasha was getting more uncomfortable with each passing moment. What did the man want from him. A confession of sin or what? "Right now _you _probably know more about my feelings than I do. You take a guess."

"You're torn between two people… but you're officially with your boyfriend it seems. Does Nazuna return your feelings?"

"I don't have feelings for her to return!" Inuyasha was quick to avoid slipping into that word trap.

"Ok – does she pursue you?"

"Not quite pursue… more like waits…"

"So she likes you in the romantic way?"

Inuyasha thought for a moment. Did Kagome like him that way… "Yeah… she doesn't really try to hide it very well…"

"So there is something between the two of you?" Mr Higurashi pressed. "A relationship."

Inuyasha looked glumly at the coffee stain again. "Sure… whatever… we have a 'relationship'. It's a sucky one, but it's there."

"And because of your relationship with your boyfriend you are tied down so it remains a sucky one." Mr Higurashi nodded. Inuyasha looked up at him in bewilderment. How come the guy had basically refined the relationships in a few simple sentences. It had to be a talent. "But if there was no relationship… would you be with Nazuna?"

Would he…? Probably…

But the answer to that question just stirred up more complications and difficulties that he didn't need. "What are you on about? I'm gay remember? I don't do girls." Nice save… he gave himself a pat on the back.

Kagome chose that moment to come back in with an ice bucket, glowering slightly at her father and looking like she'd just run around the building a few times… which, she probably had done. "Here's your ice, master." She said coldly as she dumped the bucket beside his chair and went to sit down beside Inuyasha again.

"Ah, thank you." He took one ice cube, _one_, and popped it in his drink. "Just what I needed."

Kagome had to restrain herself for getting up and dumping the bucket over his head.

Meanwhile Inuyasha had spotted a plate of cookies on the table before him, and while Mr Higurashi was distracted with his ice, he nudged it with his foot, over to where Kagome was sitting. She saw the movement and looked up at him in surprise. He just looked away with a muttered 'keh'. She smiled anyhow and reached down to select one of the larger biscuits, touched by his concern for her not eating.

Mr Higurashi began again, unaware of what had just transpired between the two. "Ok. Today I think we should try a little role playing."

Inuyasha scowled and Kagome choked on her biscuit. When she'd cleared her airways she looked up at her father in doubt. "Not like… he be the bartender and I be the blonde broad in the red dress looking for her future husband in the bar? Then I find it with the bartender?"

Inuyasha slanted her a queer look. "One of your fantasies?"

"Possibly. What's it to you?"

Mr Higurashi cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, not acting. I just want you two to play on each others problems. Yoko – I want you to pretend to be Kagome's boyfriend, Inuyasha."

He hissed in response and shook his head. "That'll be a hard one… how do I capture his charm… his elegance…"

"His humungeous head?" she slipped in with the same awe-struck tone.

"And Kagome – I want you to be Nazuna." Her father concluded.

"Who?" Kagome frowned and looked at Inuyasha who was once again, finding the stain on the table, that much more interesting. "What's Nazuna got to do with this? I thought you hated her."

Inuyasha coughed behind his hand and shifted. He said for her ears only, "Itsyou."

"Bless you." She responded and he rolled his eyes, only a fraction of a second later did she catch on. "Oh…"

"We ready?" Her father continued, still unaware of the little communications between them. They shifted and turned to each other, thoroughly dubious about what they were about to do. "Now… Kagome, I want you to tell Inuyasha how you feel."

She swallowed hard at Inuyasha's intense look. "Do I gave to?"

"It'll be good if you do. And perhaps you can work up the courage to tell the real Inuyasha the same."

"I feel stupid." She tried to back out, but she was cornered.

"Remember – it's Yoko, your friend, not Inuyasha. Yoko won't tell Inuyasha what you say, will you Yoko?" Mr Higurashi looked at Inuyasha who was smiling quietly and shaking his head. "See?"

"He could have a listening device…"

Her father sighed in warning. "Kagome…"

"Isn't our time nearly up?" she begged, starting to get up. "I should really be getting back home before."

"We have half an hour left. Sit!" her father barked and her legs folded. Inuyasha couldn't contain his snort of laughter at her obedience to the word command.

"I have a collar… what's your excuse?" he grinned at her. She flushed heatedly.

"Come on Kagome, we can't sit here all day. Or its valuable money down the drain." He raised an eyebrow. "This is Inuyasha… tell him how you feel."

She turned her gaze back to lock with Inuyasha's, before letting it fall to the fold of his haori. "Um… you're a really great guy." Perhaps that summed it up best. "I mean, you're really strong and protective – and you're almost always there for me."

"Almost?" Inuyasha echoed.

"Dad – tell Yoko not to jump in – I'm talking to Inuyasha, not him!" Kagome glowered at him.

"Yoko is only responding how Inuyasha might. That is the beauty of role playing. Let him jump in." Her father told her bluntly. "Now continue."

She sighed and went on. "You're not _always _there. I mean, it's physically impossible for you to be there for me twenty four hours a day seven days a week and all…" _You're not there when I need you most. _She wanted to say, _Where were you when you were chasing a rumour of Kikyo while I was taken over by a talking demon baby? Where were you when Denji decided it would be ok to feel up his step-daughter? _"And you're persevering to the extreme… you always aim high and get what you want… no matter how long it takes. You have ambition, which is more than what most guys your age have. Guys my age are usually into pot and cigs and booze – like this guy I know called Yoko."

"And what about Hobo boy."

"Hojo."

"What about him?"

"He's nice. Nicer than you." She said truthfully, watching his face begin to contort with anger. "But too nice… don't get me wrong, I prefer you." It was all coming out… getting easier to talk in a flow. "I know I could trust my life to you," _As long as Kikyo isn't around to force you to choose between us. _"But…"

"But?" Inuyasha didn't look like he liked the sound of that but.

"You can be slightly…" she winced. "… domineering. You have a problem controlling your temper and you get jealous for no reason sometimes. Sometimes I worry about your blood pressure, ya know."

"What?!"

"See – you're doing it right now!"

Inuyasha spluttered for a moment, before forcing himself to sit down and shut up. If he couldn't manage to say something nice, it was best to just concentrate on keeping those stupid flapping lips shut.

Kagome took a deep breath and carried on. "You're too irrational sometimes… and it can get you into trouble… you don't spend time to think back and look at a situation from another angle – you dive in there and get dirty. You don't seem to understand that I have a life and a family too, and that I can't commit full time to you. I used to say that you were violent, irresponsible and masochistic, but now I see those qualities are only minor."

"Only?!"

"They're quite endearing actually?" Kagome tried to soothe him.

Inuyasha had to press a hand to his mouth in fear of bursting out and calling her all sorts of things… but not in front of the father…

"Ok, I'm done." Kagome looked at Mr Higurashi. "You're right, I do feel better!"

"Ok, now Yoko – you pretend Kagome is Nazuna." Her father carried on scribbling notes on his clipboard.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and got his vengeance.

"You're annoying. When we're at work, you always slow down everything with your stupid hygienic habits and when you're not at work – which is too frequently if you ask me – work halts completely. Without you, everything falls to pieces – and _don't _take that as flattery. You always burst out crying at the slightest insult, or misunderstood line. You always make me feel bad whether you get hit and knocked out or cut your finger on a thorn or something. If it wasn't for you, my life would be one straight path, but because you came into it, that path is all over the place, but straight at the same time. Without you I would still know what I wanted, but because of you and your clumsy handling of the Shikon I have no idea what I want anymore. Do I want to stay the way or am, or do I want to change?"

"By all means." Kagome said coldly. "Take the sex change, you always wanted it."

He glowered, but would not be distracted. "Because of you I can no longer be complete when you walk away. Whenever you leave my life halts and it's so _annoying_ to know that my universe revolves around you. Because of you I am terrified that one day, you might leave me and I'll just die inside. I want you to stay with me for the rest of my life, make sure I never feel lonely again. But when you have a family and you keep running away, I have this sense of doom that one day you'll just leave and I'll just wither."

Kagome stared at him. Only Inuyasha could turn the world's greatest insult into her most touching compliment. 

"And don't take it as flattery." He folded his arms and looked down at the couch between them. "Because… aside from all those horrible traits you're a good person, I guess. You always smile, you always treat people kindly no matter who they are. You overlook… what I am… and made me realise that yes, it's ok to have friends. That, sure, it's not the end of the world to trust people. I know you look out for me… even when I can't always do that for you… and… you smell good…" he flustered slightly, dropping his hands to the couch seat again. "You can take all that crap as flattery if you want. I wouldn't though."

There was a moment of silence that stretched on for a while until he felt Kagome's small warm hand slide over his, clasping him firmly. He looked up to see she was smiling, pleasantly and thankfully for the first time in a while. He'd expected her to be angry… "It kinda sucks how your good qualities outweigh mine though."

"Does a bit. I don't care." She shrugged, still watching him with that quiet, knowing smile that made him, if possible, even more nervous.

"Right!" Kagome's father, clapped his hands, breaking the moment and causing them both to break their hands apart. "Now when you see the real Inuyasha, Kagome, and you see the real Nazuna, Yoko, you'll know just what to say and how you feel."

"I guess…" they both muttered in unison.

"That's all the time we have for today." He rose to his feet, making them rise as well. "Now if you excuse me, I have to tell a wife some bad news about her husband."

"Oh dear. What?" Kagome asked as she was shoved after Inuyasha.

"He no longer thinks he's a hamster."

"But that's good news!"

"No, because now he thinks he's a pterodactyl."

"Oh…" they both murdered as the door was shut in their face.

"I have a feeling he's going to make a habit out of those anecdotes." Kagome sighed and looked up at Inuyasha to see he was giving her another strange look, just like last time, but now it didn't look so angry. "What?"

"Did you mean what you said about me?"

"Did you?"

"Yes."

"Then… yes, I meant it." She watched his expression fall a bit.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" she couldn't help it, she had to show her compassion and her way was to take his hand again. Something he still wasn't used to.

"For being a pig." He looked down at where their fingers entwined.

"Don't think of changing." Kagome said sharply.

"What?"

"Don't change. I like you because you're you." She smiled, kindly. "I don't care about these faults. They're faults in other people, but when you throw them all together in you, they sorta balance out. I wouldn't want you to change for me or the world."

__

Kikyo would make me change though…

"Whatever." He said, somewhat in a deliberately harsh voice. "All this touchy feely stuff gets my nerves on edge. I think I'll go back home now and find some kappa sprite to kick into next week."

"Your stress relief?"

"My therapy." He nodded seriously. 

Kagome fought the urge to embrace him before he went… that might just be pushing her luck.

"You should come back too." He said casually, "Shippu really does miss you."

"I'm sure he does. Tell him I said hi. But I have to go home." She said firmly.

He shrugged, eyeing her baggy clothes that concealed whether she was fat, thin, attractive, or lumpy. He'd have to find out just what she was trying to hide later. Or more importantly… why?

AN: I guess I'm adding humour because I don't want it to be a completely manic depressant fic. But it's still serious enough. Next chapter should be up soon, I hope ^_^


	9. At The Limit

AN: It's weird, they keep playing this continual advert on TV for a waist band that electronically stimulates the ab muscles. Every time I look up at the TV all I see is twitching ab muscles! @_@ Not nice! (well, nice on the men at least…)

Well you all couldn't wait for Inuyasha to kick Denji's ass… I think you'll like this chapter ^_^

****

Father Figure

At the Limit

Despite what she'd told Inuyasha, Kagome hadn't gone straight home. If truth be told, the thought of spending a whole day in the same house as Denji made her stomach turn… 

She couldn't face up to him or her family – not for hours of scrutiny. She'd pass on that. So to eat up time she hung around her friend's house, catching up on the gossip, picking up the gifts that Hojo had sent to her… as well as the homework. 

But all good things came to an end, and it wasn't long before her friend's phone rang. It had been Souta, asking Kagome to come back for dinner.

There was no real way out of it.

"I'm home!" she called as she walked in the door and stepped out of her shoes with practised grace.

"In the kitchen!" her mother called back. Kagome heard the clinking of plates and cutlery from the room. As she went to join them she received a few odd looks from her mother and Souta. "Where were you all day?"

"At Orika's house." She answered simply as she took her seat between her mother and brother… keeping her eyes trained on her plate… anywhere but Denji opposite her.

"Thought you might have been arrested by the fashion police." Souta quipped around a mouthful of Oden.

Kagome flushed slightly and glared at her plate. "Shut up." She muttered, half-heartedly.

From that point on Dinner went on in silence. For a while Kagome wondered where her Grandfather was, but knew better than to ask… that would just be asking for trouble and a dig from Denji. She just wanted to eat and run. The less talk, the sooner she'd be running.

"So how's school keeping up, Kagome-chan." Denji broke the silence.

A cold feeling clenched her insides and she struggled to swallow that last mouthful around the lump in her throat. "Fine." She managed to answer, a little more bluntly than she'd intended. She caught the glare her mother shot her for that. She tried again. "It's fine… thanks for asking." Though her voice was barely above a whisper.

The concerned thought hit her… _when had she turned so timid?_

Her appetite was lost on her and she began picking at her food, pushing it around her plate with no real interest. She heard her mother sigh patiently and looked up. "Kagome – for goodness sakes, what is the matter with you?" her tone of voice was slightly angry with a hint of the venom her mother was capable of when she was out of patience. What remained of Kagome's appetite disappeared completely and she started to feel queasy.

"Nothing. I'm just not hungry." She said quietly, not meeting her mother's eyes.

"You're never hungry – you never eat with the family anymore!" Mrs Higurashi scolded. "It's like you don't want to be a part of it anymore!"

"I'm just not hungry, alright?!" Kagome cried back defensively. At least she wasn't lying so far. She shot a look at Denji who was watching her in that calm, collected way. It would have been better if he was glaring, or leering… but with that neutral expression she didn't have a clue what he was thinking.

"You were down the well weren't you?" Her mother pushed. It was amazing. Now her mother didn't even need Denji to start am argument with her. "I told you, you weren't supposed to go there."

"I haven't been there!"

"Then where were you all day?"

"I told you – Orika's house!" Kagome cried.

"It's true." Denji jumped in. "I was there when Souta called Orika up."

Kagome didn't know whether to feel more relieved or threatened. Perhaps both. "See? I'm not lying to you, Mom."

"Though this morning, you _were _with Inuyasha, weren't you." Denji went on, watching her carefully. "He was in your room. Was he in there all night?"

Kagome swallowed hard and stared at him with wide eyes. No… he couldn't possibly be trying to insinuate that… she darted a look at her mother who looked downright betrayed. "Mom – that's not true! He just came to wake me up!"

"Right. The Hanyou from the past is Kagome's wake up call. And I suppose he went straight back home when you got up?" Denji narrowed his eyes slightly.

"N – yes!" Kagome grimaced at her mistake. God… just dig herself deeper, why didn't she?

"He didn't come to wake you up did he?" her mother asked quietly.

"No…" Kagome's shoulders sagged in defeat.

"He was there all night." Her mother snapped a fiery gaze on her daughter. "Christ Kagome – you're underage!"

"Mom!" Kagome screeched. "How could you think something like that of me?!"

"It's true isn't it?" her mother pressed.

"No!"

"Out of all the lies you've been feeding us lately, Kagome, you expect us to believe this one too?" Denji asked snidely.

Something in Kagome snapped and she turned a furious glare in him. "Us? This has nothing to do with you! This is between me and Mom – stay out of this! How dare you step out of the blue and start assuming control over me like a parent! I barely know you!"

"Kagome!" Her mother barked angrily. Kagome's spark diminished and she realised what she'd done. "How dare _you _speak to Denji like that! He's done nothing but take care of this family like a father – the least you could do is respect the fact that he's trying to help us! Trying to help you!"

"Help me?!" Kagome yelled, feeling the emotional prick of tears in her eyes as she threw back her chair and stood up. "If you wanted to help me just leave me alone!"

Of course, that parting sentiment held no meaning. She just said it because at the time, it had sounded fairly decent. She stormed out of the kitchen, ignoring her mother's outraged shouting for her to come back that minute. She flew up the stairs and slammed the door so hard a picture frame fell off the wall beside her mirror.

Alone again, she struggled to keep the emotion bottled up inside. She wouldn't be weak. She just _wouldn't _give Denji the satisfaction of hearing her cry. She had to be strong… she couldn't be a coward… just couldn't. The tears threatened to choke her throat and a few escaped her eyes, spilling down her cheek.

But within a matter of moments she began to feel her body calm down… she was getting better at controlling the tears. A few moment seconds and the smothered sobs in her chest had ceased and she could breathe again… shakily… but without sobbing.

She stretched the baggy sleeve of her jersey over her fists and dashed at her eyes as she turned her gaze to the ceiling, sinking down to the floor against the back of the door. Downstairs she could hear her mother and Denji arguing over her. Of course, they weren't arguing to each other… more like bitching about Kagome in loud disgruntled voices.

"I've never seen her behaviour this bad before!" he mother was shrilly in anger. "I'm so sorry Denji – you must think I'm an awful mother."

"Of course I don't." his voice had turned soothing, almost too quiet for Kagome to catch. "You're an excellent mother."

"I was so looking forward to you two getting to know each other. She's usually such a nice, kind, refined girl… I don't know what's wrong with her. She's suddenly rude to me and you… and look at her clothes… it has to be a phase or something. Just hormones maybe…"

Kagome clamped her hands over her ears, blocking out the muffled sound of the conversation below. But it still didn't block out the sound of Souta's heavy footsteps up the stairs, or the fist he slammed against her door, jarring her body. "Well done Kagome!" he hissed spitefully and stomped off to slam into his own room.

Kagome clenched her hands tighter over her head and felt the tears threatening to spill again. No… the walls and floors weren't that thick… if she broke down and cried they would hear her.

But she knew that she couldn't hold back the floods for much longer. She needed out of that house. Since when her home had become her living hell, she had no idea. It had been a gradual transition since Denji had arrived. Well… right then she felt more secure and safe in a feudal age with demons, ogres and samurai. 

She dashed at her eyes one last time and sniffed as she rose to her feet. She hurried to her bed and pulled out the dull yellow canvas bag from underneath. She spent a few moments going through it, checking she had everything she needed before closing it up again. A few packets of ramen for Inuyasha, that swimsuit magazine for Miroku, the few odds and ends that she'd need such as tooth paste, tooth brush, comb, moisturiser, hair styler, study books, nail polish.

She rummaged through her drawers and snagged a few extra sets of clothes and stuffed them into the bag as well. It was now considerably heavier than before, but she needed the stuff… she didn't intend to come back.

Well… not for a while at least.

It was strange, she thought, as she carefully pulled up her window and slipped out into the cool evening, that a few days ago – yesterday even – she had sworn she wouldn't be a coward and run away. That she wouldn't abandon her family to a man like Denji…

But now that didn't seem to matter. All that mattered was that she needed to get out of there – away from the angry looks of her mother and Souta… away from Denji and his creepy aura… away from the possibility that he would touch her _that _way again…

She wanted to worry them. Make them all fret and panic that she'd never come back – that they'd screwed up and lost their only daughter. She indulged in that little fantasy as she carefully climbed down the tree outside her window. She imagined the way they would cry and beg her to come back – promising that they'd never let Denji back into the house again as long as she would come back!

But would they choose Denji or Kagome… the perfect father or the suddenly unruly teenage girl…?

Kagome had seen all the movies – where the parents always chose their children over their partners every time. It was a matter of love. Children were more precious than anything anyone else could offer. But was it that way in real life?

The answer was no. It sounded harsh, but it was the truth. They believed Denji… not Kagome… they stuck up for him at the drop of a hat – while Kagome had to struggle along to defend herself. 

Right then, she knew it was a nasty thought, but she didn't give a flying fig that she was abandoning them. _Leave them in their own mess_, she thought crudely. The anger and rage at Denji making her heart bitter.

She heard the muffled sound of the television playing in the living room, and saw the warm glow cast by the window. Her mother and Denji had forgotten about the little fiasco at dinner already and were now watching the comedy hour, snuggled together and chuckling at the box.

Kagome clenched her fists. Didn't they care about her feelings? Didn't _Denji _care about what he was doing to her. Just by those simple callused and cutting remarks, the neutral stares that seemed to penetrate her soul. And that one touch to her knee… it had held all kinds of dark, disgusting feelings that Kagome could still feel. Her knee itched at the mere thought and she immediately tried to set it out of her mind. It was funny how a simple touch to the knee had shaken her to her very core.

She hurried to the well house and slipped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar like it usually was. She tiptoed towards the well and heaved her pack off her shoulder, before dropping it down into the well experimentally. It disappeared, like it usually did – but she couldn't never be too careful and dive in head first. Not after that time when Inuyasha had sealed the well. She'd hit the bottom like a dead weight and winded herself… 

And he thought he'd been protecting her – she'd nearly sprained an ankle from that experience!

She dropped down into the well and felt the familiar floating sensation that accompanied the transition between the two eras. Five hundred years rewound in a matter of five seconds… and she touched down lightly on the ground, only to stumble over her bag and crumple to her knees.

At once she noticed the difference. The fresh air… the dim light that shone around her in the evening… an age so much purer than her own in a weird way. Dangerous, but the earth was still young. For a moment she just knelt there, eyes fallen closed as she breathed in a deep steadying breath.

Home… this was what home felt like…

There was a tapping sound above her and she looked up to see Inuyasha looking down at her with a lopsided sort of grin. It was the first time he looked more or less pleased to see her. "Glad you finally got your wits about you." He cocked his head at her.

Despite herself, Kagome felt a tug of a smile on her lips. Inuyasha had the power to either make or break her day. Fortunately, it was one of those good days she valued so much.

Yes… this was home…

^_^

"I don't think I've ever seen a flea move that fast." Sango laughed lightly as she sipped at the fizzy drink Kagome had brought. Miroku though the substance was… an acquired taste, but she liked the tangy taste. "Hears the word 'fiancée' and he's off like a firecracker."

"Oh I don't know…" Miroku was smiling too. "When the general danger thing approaches he's pretty fast in his getaways."

"Not as fast as Shippo though." Inuyasha cackled at the kit's expense.

"I don't run away in the face of danger!" Shippo stuck up for himself.

"Oh, that's right. You stay and tremble so hard I'm sure even Kaede could hear your knees knocking together from this village. And we all know how deaf she is." Inuyasha tucked into his ramen.

"I heard that!" came a warning call from the hut.

Inuyasha shrugged and went back to eating while everyone else huddled around the fire, chatting away like good friends do. Only… something wasn't quite right. He stopped eating and tried to figure out what was missing. He looked around and spotted Kagome leaning back against one of the nearby trees. She was watching them with a light smile, eyes half closed. 

"What's with the face?" he asked pointedly. She slid her gaze to him and her smile widened slightly. But she said nothing and went back to watching the fire. 

She hadn't touched the food that had been presented for her. She really was planning to starve herself wasn't she. Well… there was no point telling her so otherwise she'd get defensive and self-conscious about it – then refuse to eat out of spite. That was ok… because he had a plan…

He finished off his ramen and quickly regretted it… now he'd have to make room for what he wanted to do next. He moved to the little tray of morsels she'd been given and picked one up. "Not hungry?" he asked, popping the food morsel into his mouth.

"No." she shook her head. "you can have it if you want."

"Nah… too full." He shook his head. "How about we make a bet?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't know… the last time we had a bet you ended up loosing so badly I had to start taking possession of your clothes – and after that I had to start staking claim on body parts-"

"I know!" he said quickly. "This doesn't involve winning body parts anymore."

"I still own your left buttock by the way." She chided.

"Which I plan to win back right now." He said with a glint in his eyes "If I win – I get my butt cheek back – if you win – name your price."

"You're right buttock."

"No!" I groaned. "We're not doing body parts this time!" 

She sighed and shifted against the hard bark of the tree. "Fine… if I win… I get to… have free rides wherever we go from now on."

"Is that all?" he looked surprised.

"Yes." She blinked.

Well, he'd expected something unreasonable, like a few extra days away in her time again without hassle. Well, carrying her close was better than allowing her to leave. He was going to turn out the winner of this bet no matter who triumphed.

"So what are we betting on?" she sat up as Sango and Miroku continued to chat away on the other side of the fire.

"I bet you can't each ten of these rice balls before I can." He said with a cocky, arrogant quirk of the lips.

She stared at him, and then at the rice balls. He wondered if she caught on to his game when she shook her head. "No way… you'll always win at scarfing food down faster than the speed of chewing."

"Not true!" he feigned offence. "Anyway, I'm full on ramen – so we have a more equal chance." He refrained from saying that she looked especially hungry… he didn't want to give the game away.

"I suppose." She looked at him suspiciously before shifting forward. "you're on. Ten rice balls?"

"Ten rice balls." He nodded and they both picked one up and locked gazes. Then at once the race was on. Kagome stuffed the cake into her mouth and Inuyasha did the same, wishing that he hadn't eaten so much ramen before hand.

Kagome was on her fourth rice ball by the time he reached the second. At once, the competitive streak inside him kicked into high gear. His motto: _I shall never lose to anybody, no matter the circumstances_, resounded in his mind. He sped up the pace and quickly caught up to her on the sixth cake and started to overtake. She saw this and frowned as she tried to eat faster, but was having difficulty.

By now the other three had stopped their conversation and were watching Kagome and Inuyasha battle it out for supremacy. Inuyasha finished his ninth rice ball and started reaching for the last one. Kagome's eyes widened and her hand shot out to snag the ball he was about to take. It was the last one left – and she was just finishing her ninth. Inuyasha saw her about to take a bite out of the tenth cake and lunged for her, trying to tackle the cake out of her hand. She squeaked and ducked out of the way, running around the other side of the fire, the cake on its way to her mouth.

"Noooo!" Inuyasha appeared out of nowhere, snatched the cake millimetres from her lips and rolled to a crouch, ending in time to pop the cake into his own mouth and look around triumphantly at the others. "Yes! I'm the winner! I knew I could do it!" 

"A proud day for Hanyou's everywhere." Miroku said dryly as Kagome clapped.

"Nice dive." She told him. "I guess this means you now officially own all your backside again."

He exhaled heavily and sat back down, letting his behind get reacquainted again as his stomach churned in protest. "Damn… I feel sick…" Well, it was worth the discomfort to see Kagome willingly eat up nine rice balls in one go. 

^_^

"How come every time Kagome leaves – we get like a gillion rumours on Shikon shards – but when she comes back – there's not a dickey bird." Shippo complained loudly. "I think it's a conspiracy…"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as the kid rambled on and slid his gaze towards where Kagome sat at the end of Kaede's porch, she sat staring off into space again with that glazed look, hugging her knees and leaning sideways against a post.

She'd been alright last night, after losing the bet with the rice balls. But all through today she'd been sighing and making sad faces and generally looking miserable. Evening had sent in, and if possible, she was getting worse.

"Kagome, what the hell's the matter with you?" he called across to her, barking it out to get her attention… not sure she would hear him otherwise.

For a moment she stiffened up, until her eyes became glassier and her forehead sank to her knees, her body beginning to shake with quiet sobs. Shippo gaped at Inuyasha in shock while Inuyasha in turn gaped at Kagome in horror. Dammit… he hadn't meant anything mean by that… he'd just been concerned!

Tentatively he edged towards her, leaning down to try and see her face through the gaps in her folded arms, but she just hugged herself tighter and tried to turn away, her frame still trembling. He looked around helplessly… there was no one to comfort her, other than himself and Shippo – and Shippo wasn't incredibly useful as a comfort aid. He glared at the Kitsune pointedly, silently ordering him to 'beat it'. He wanted to deal with Kagome alone, he didn't want Shippo watching.

When the kid had disappeared round the corner he turned back to Kagome and scowled, unsure, still, what to do. "Why're you crying?! I only asked what was wrong!" he said defensively.

"Leave me alone!" she mumbled against her trousers.

"No I will not!" he straightened. "I've had it up to hear with you attitude! You've been acting so weird lately – I don't know what's got into you."

He frame shook harder as vocal sobs tore from her throat. Unwittingly, he'd just parodied her own mother's speeches. 

He clenched and unclenched his fists, hovering over her and beginning to get nervous. "Come on Kagome… stop crying – it's so girly!"

"I _am _a girl!" she told him hotly between wet sobs.

"I know that! But you're not a girly girl!"

"Says… who?!" she looked up at him defiantly, the tears running freely down her face.

"Says…" he fumbled for words. "What kind of girl wears clothes like that? They look like men's clothes! What happened to the skirts you wore?"

"I got tired of them. They show too much. They lead people on…" she buried her face in her knees again.

He was entitled to agree with her there, but kept his mouth shut on that one. However, he wanted answers. "Right. This is getting ridiculous." She ground out, toughening up to her tears. "First you're all moody at me when I talk to you, you bite my head off at the simplest action or comment! Second, you burst out crying at the simplest action and comment! Then you stop eating – and don't look at me that way – it's so obvious how alarmingly think you got in such a short space of time! And now you're dressing weird to hide how thin you are! What is going on with you?!"

"I'm not hiding the fact I'm thin!" she snapped. She knew she was thin, it wasn't stupid anorexia or bulimia… she just _couldn't_ eat with Denji around. "Being thin has nothing to do with it!"

"Then why are you dressing down like that?!"

"Because I want to! Because of Denji! I have to!" she snapped, half panicking that the fear was slipping from her own lips. She couldn't tell Inuyasha!

"Denji?" Inuyasha reared angrily. "That's fucking ridiculous! First you try and please him despite him being all jerkish and nasty – and now because he tells you to dress a certain way you do it for him! What are you – a carpet?!"

"Stop it!" she yelled, in full hysterics, trying to clear the tears from her eyes. "I'm not doing it because he asked me to!"

"Then why?!"

"Because!" she yelled, as if that was the end of the matter.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and circled her, looking up and down her form shrewdly, putting her on edge in a severe way. "You don't eat because of Denji! You don't stay with your family because of Denji! You won't stay with us because of Denji! And now you won't wear your clothes because of Denji or act normal because of Denji! Fuck Denji Kagome! You're a push over – a stupid little push over!"

"I'm not! I'm not! I swear I'm not!" she broke down into tears again, barely speaking coherently. "I hate him! I hate him so much I think my heart will tear apart! God I hate him more than anyone – Naraku, Sesshomaru – even Jaken! I hate him!"

"Then why-"

"Because he wants the opposite!" she stood and screamed at him. "He wants me to be calm and perfect – so I run away and do naughty things! He wants me to dress like I do normally – so I dress like a boy! I can't stand eating near him – he criticises me at every opportunity!" She broke off with a choked sob. "I can't stand him! I can't! God I want to hurt him so much – but I can't! I had to run away because he scares me – because if I stay I'll be worn down into this carpet girl you think I am! If I stay there I'll just crumble and die!"

Inuyasha stared at her, perplexed. "I don't understand…" he hadn't realised it was this bad.

"What's to understand?" she sniffed angrily and flopped back onto the porch. "He's a leech. He sucks the life out of me little by little. I had to leave… he's turning my whole family against me. And they all think I'm a liar and they won't believe what I say anymore."

Inuyasha sat down beside her as she seemed to gain some control. Though her eyes were still raw with tears. "I'll help you." He said simply.

She laughed harshly. "No you can't." she looked at him with self-pity. "You can't help. You're strong – you can fight any enemy and stand a good chance of winning. But this is my time. Enemies are weaker… but they're that much more stronger. You can't kill Denji – you can't just stick Tessaiga in him and end the problem, though how I wish you could. Life can never be that simple where I come from."

He stared at her, surprised. Since when had Kagome harboured such ill thoughts about anyone. Though… he knew she must have had more reason to it than just a few scathing remarks from Denji. There was something she was holding back, and a horrible clawed feeling twisted his stomach. His voice was deep and threatening when he spoke. "What did he do to you to make you so hateful?"

She was quiet for a while. He sobs had subsided and she stared straight ahead. Then without warning she reached over and touched his knee, squeezing it in a rather suggestive way. "It's amazing, isn't it?" she asked, still staring ahead.

He watched her hand on his knee, his heart doing silly little flip flops in his chest. He didn't understand her meaning, he didn't know what this had to do with Denji. "Does this scare you?" she asked quietly.

"No." he answered hesitantly. Should it?

"It's different when someone you know and trust touches you." She went on quietly, almost bitterly. "But when someone you hate… you loathe… touches you so intimately and you can't do anything about it…" she gave his knee one last caress before letting it go limp and looking at him. "It terrifies me. That he could do it again and no one will be there to help me… or believe me."

He snapped a stunned gaze to her, acutely aware of her hand still resting on his knee.

Denji… was going to die…

With a vicious snarl he ripped himself from the porch, away from her touch and started storming away, towards the well. At once Kagome panicked – this wasn't supposed to happen. "What are you doing?!" she yelled, running after him.

"I'm gonna tear him a fucking new hole in his fucking neck!!" Inuyasha yelled, ignoring the pulls as she tugged on his haori. 

"Don't! You'll just make things worse!" she cried, devastated at what she'd sparked off.

"They're already worse!!" he spat. "I'm gonna fix things once and for all! _NO ONE _can get away with something like that!"

"But-"

"If you want to stop me you'll have to sit me!" he snapped, whirling on her with his head cocked in suggestion. "Well? Say sit! Go on – stop me – I'll only go later when I can stand again!"

Kagome's mouth worked, before she finally summoned words. "Don't kill him…" she couldn't say the S word… some sick part of her wanted Inuyasha to go and take her revenge. She wouldn't stop him.

He watched her carefully before hissing a venomous curse out and turning to run. He was satisfied she wanted this too. She wasn't going to stop him – that was as good as giving him her blessing!

Denji was a dead man…

AN: Ah… bliss…


	10. Backlash

AN: Drum roll please!!

And here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. The chapter where we all get to live out our pent up aggression through Denji. And all those sceptics among you who think I'm going to do my usual annoying habit of ruining this blessed moment by having someone stopping Inuyasha, or him breaking a nail or something so Denji gets away free…? Rest assured, no twists. Not until it's over at least…

Anyway – slightly longer chapter this time… maybe I drew out the Inuyasha vs. Denji scene longer than normal. 

So enjoy!

Father Figure

Backlash

"I see…" Miroku said with a deep look of contemplation. "So Inuyasha has gone to avenge you, as it were?"

Kagome nodded glumly and felt Sango's arm tighten around her shoulders.

"And I thought _you _were bad, Houshi-sama." Sango said quietly, rocking Kagome lightly.

"At least I don't aim to traumatise the girls I acquaint myself with." He responded in an equal tone. They nodded in acceptance, knowing he was serious.

"I hope Inuyasha kills him!" Shippo said with feeling from where he was perched on Kagome's knee, facing the girl. It was like he was guarding her from further attack from anything else. "Anyone who does that to you Kagome – a quick and painless death would be too good for them!"

"Inuyasha can't kill Denji." Sango said, shooting the young Kitsune a doubtful look. "He's human."

"So?" Shippo pulled a face. "Does that make him any less evil than a Youkai?"

"No." Kagome answered for Sango. "He's just as bent and twisted… but Inuyasha can't kill him – it'll just make things worse…"

"Inuyasha knows that." Miroku consoled her from the other side of Sango. It seemed the demon exterminator was deliberately keeping any male from Kagome. "He won't be as dumb as to kill Denji. Maybe rough him up. But not kill him."

"We'll wait and see, shall we?" Sango didn't, for a minute, put her confidence in Inuyasha's intelligence to do the right thing. They'd all heard his shouting and cursing from the other side of Kaede's hut. The boy was angry… there was no telling what he'd do. Sometimes he could just be a little _too _protective of Kagome…

^_^

The whole house had quieted down. Souta had gone off to bed, as had Mrs Higurashi after wearing herself out with worrying over her daughter's disappearance. Denji started clearing up the lounge, putting away the new dog toys and turning off the television set. He moved around the kitchen for a while, washing the pots and dinner plates before turning off the light and heading back into the lounge to do the same in there.

His hand flicked the light switch and the whole lower floor of the house went dark. Time for bed. But no sooner had he put a foot on the bottom step of the stairs, he heard a discreet thump sound from the kitchen, as though something soft had just landed on the floor.

Probably just the dog, but he better go check to make sure it wasn't doing anything it shouldn't.

Back in the kitchen he looked around with confusion. The pup wasn't there, and there was nothing on the floor that looked as though it had just fallen there. But a slight draft of air brushed his skin and he looked up to see the window was now open all the way, the net drapes swaying slightly with a night breeze. No… he'd been _sure _that window had been closed a moment ago.

He moved forward and pulled it close with an effort… the window was a little stiff in its frame and make a creaking noise as he moved it. Surely no one could have just opened it a moment ago so silently? He was probably just getting scatty. He shrugged off his thoughts and turned to head back upstairs. 

He'd started up the steps again when he heard another sound, just down the hall, the rustle of movement and what he thought was a glimpse of white. He stopped and leaned over the balcony of the stairs, looking down the hall. "Alright, who's there? Come out and show yourself." He said with a controlled calm.

There was no reply, but he hadn't really expected one either.

He moved slowly back down the stairs and wondered down the hall, leading into the kitchen again. There was nothing there.

A bang like a hammer on a nail echoed from the hall behind him and he jumped around and looked out the kitchen door, searching for the source of the disturbance. "Who's there?!" he hissed, but not too loudly, he didn't want to wake up the family upstairs.

A sharp crack of wood resounded from further up the hall and he dashed out of the kitchen, knowing the source at once. It was the shoe rack. When he arrived there he stared in surprise, not entirely sure what to think. The shelf that held his own shoes had broken in half – the others remained untouched.

"If you're trying to scare me, it won't work!" he hissed, even though he could feel the tingling of apprehension crawling up the back of his neck.

Suddenly, without warning, an amazingly strong force slammed into him, vice like hands with excessively long, sharp nails twisted both his arms behind his back in the speed it took for him to gasp – then he made no more sound as he was slammed up against the hardboard wall of the hallway, the wind knocked out of his lungs. The strain increased on his arms and shoulders as he was pushed further up the wall by the grip on his forearms alone. A rough, malicious voice spoke close to his ear, chilling him.

"But you're so close to pissing your pants." The grip on his arms tightened painfully and Denji clenched his teeth against crying out. "I'd love to keep on scaring you but I promised a girl that I'd be back in an hour after I killed you."

"Kagome – sent you!" Denji accused with a grunt.

"Any excuse!" He was pulled back and slammed against the wall again, harder than before. "Give me _any_ excuse and I _will _kill you! Scream – and I will snap your hunched little neck! Fight back and I will smash your head into the ground! Do anything next and I will throw you to the ground and beat the shit out of you!" 

"Who the hell are you?!"

The next moment, he was hurled to the ground on his stomach and kicked so hard in the ribs he was flipped onto his back. For a while he closed his eyes against the pain, before realising he had a clear view of his attacker now. He snapped his eyes open and blearily focused on the man above him. It was too dark to see details clearly, but he could easily make out the insanely long hair for a man, and the almost blood red colours of his old style clothes. "What are you – an assassin?!" Denji stared with a caustic laugh despite the situation he was in. The man gave a menacing, rather dog like growl from deep in his throat and stepped forward threateningly.

He stepped clear into the moonlight from the window and Denji's expression wiped of pain and anger. It was just a boy…

"I'm a Hanyou." Was the bitten remark. "And you picked the wrong day to mess with my human. Full moon always makes me a little energetic."

"You're Inuyasha." Denji stated flatly for a moment before dropping his head back on the floor and beginning to laugh.

Inuyasha's threatening growl increased in volume and he stepped forward to grab Denji by the front of his shirt and began to drag Denji towards the door.

"Where are you taking me Inu Hanyou?" Denji was still smiling as though this was all some ridiculous illusion.

"I'm going to go dig your grave and bury you alive in it." Inuyasha snapped heatedly as he kicked the front door open and began dragging the human man out.

"Did she order you to do this?" Denji asked him, wincing as the gravel of the driveway scraped at his back. "Inuyasha – her little lap dog. Forced to obey her from the word go… or was it 'sit'?" he laughed again.

Inuyasha turned, having enough of the man, and lifted him high enough to crack a damaging blow across Denji's jaw. No real harm… but there'd be one hell of a bruise in the morning. If he hadn't promised Kagome he wouldn't kill Denji, then he'd feel less inclined to hold back his full strength.

Denji seemed to reel as his senses were knocked flying, but a few moments passed and he looked back up at Inuyasha slowly, meeting a glare with a glare. "Did she ask you to kill me?"

"Funnily enough, it's not just Kagome who thinks molesting little girls in dark rooms is a sin punishable by death!" Inuyasha's fist tightened in his shirt. "Believe me," he muttered with barely controlled rage. "I have killed humans for less than what you have done. I have killed monsters for no reason – other than the reason they were in my way. You can't hide behind the fact you're a human, just to escape your death."

"Then by all means. Kill me." It was almost a dare.

"Don't tempt me." Inuyasha's eyes flashed. "Maybe _I'm _not allowed to kill you, but I could quite easily tie you up and drop you off in the middle of one of these roads… purely accidental of course that you'd die as a result when a metal carriage crashes into you – but at least it wasn't technically me who killed you."

Denji laughed again, irritating Inuyasha to the extreme. "You won't do that. I suppose Kagome-chan told you not to kill me. That would be just like her."

"_YOU_ don't know Kagome!" Inuyasha hauled him up to eye level and gave him a rough shake. "So don't pretend you do – you're not fooling anyone! And you can drop the 'chan' you degrading little worm!"

"Oh I see – so this is your favour to her?" Denji pushed Inuyasha's hands away, but was only released because Inuyasha saw fit to release him. "She told you all about how I've 'mistreated' her. Don't believe a word of it, if I were you."

"Don't think for one minute that I'll take your word over Kagome's! Her words mean more to me than some fake's!"

"Indeed they do." Denji narrowed his eyes with an unpleasant smile. "You'd probably die for her wouldn't you? In that sappy romantic way teenage couples always pledge. _I'll die for you Inuyasha – so won't you die for me? I'd avenge you if you were ever molested – so go avenge me!_" he feigned Kagome's voice in a love struck tone that grated Inuyasha's nerves.

"You know shit."

"No, I know more than you think." Denji retorted. "You think that she's devoted to you don't you? That you have to protect her from harm because she'd weak and incapable of looking after herself. Well let me tell you that she's more capable of looking after herself than you think. All women are. Don't let them fool you."

"Shut your hole!" Inuyasha stepped forward and felled Denji with another sound punch to the head. If only he could hit without restrain… he needed to vent his anger properly! Holding back wasn't helping.

Denji pushed himself up with his hands. "You want to know how women defend themselves better than we give them credit for?" he asked rhetorically. "They use us. They hide behind their masculine shields and whenever they get attacked they send us to fight their battles."

"Kagome isn't like that, Asshole – you still know shit!"

"Kagome is more like that than any woman on earth!" Denji ground out. "It's called having a hero complex! You're her hero – her knight in red armour. You've saved her from danger, countless times, she's fallen in love with her hero – thinking that you can protect her forever!"

"Shut up – that isn't true!" Inuyasha was finding it increasingly hard to hold back and not attack Denji full on.

"But it is true – and a hero complex is a fickle thing." Denji continued. "The minute she finds someone stronger than you… someone better than you – a full Youkai perhaps…? … She'll be gone… You realise that as we stand here right now… you are probably the strongest creature on this earth."

Inuyasha ignored the ego that tried to inflate at the comment.

"But what about in your time where demons thrive all round? You're just a small fish in a big pond. You aren't the strongest creature there is when you're in that time, are you? The saying 'there are plenty more fish in the sea' comes to mind!"

"What are you babbling about?" Inuyasha hissed.

"Don't you get it?" Denji snorted. "Kagome-chan's never met anyone as strong as you before – women always desire the strongest men. The richest, the classiest – the ones who can protect them and provide best for them. Kagome's no different. She finds you – the strongest boy she's met and she thinks she's head over heels in love. I bet you think the same!"

"I told you to shut up." The control slipped fractionally and Inuyasha planted a fist in his stomach before regaining his temper again and stepping back, glaring daggers at the man.

"But…" Denji wheezed. "Wait till she meets all your friends from the Sengoku Jidai. She can have her pick of heroes then. She'll find someone stronger than you in a matter of time. The minute you let your guard down, someone will move in on your territory. The minute you fail to protect her like she always dreamed – she'll start falling out of love with you and look for someone else to be her hero."

"Kagome isn't like that!" Inuyasha repeated, letting the anger consume the fear that what Denji was saying was making sense.

"Oh, sorry. Does it hurt? You call her 'Kagome', so familiar – are you so attached to her already?" Denji spat a bit of blood onto the grass beside him. "Don't pamper your ego with such thoughts that she loves you. Remember – the minute you let her down… one time is all it takes… she'll abandon you."

"She's not a quitter. She's not flighty – or fickle!" Inuyasha hissed. "She's loyal and strong in both mind and soul! She's faced down monsters the size of buildings – she's killed a few too! And none have even fazed her as much as you… none have frightened her the way you have terrified her of her own family. You deserve to die – I don't care what she says!"

"So like I said – why don't you kill me and get it over with?" Denji replied smoothly. "Why don't you cut off the source of her fear?"

Inuyasha growled and dragged him forward again so they were almost nose to nose. "Now listen you cretin, because I am only going to say this once. You stay away from Kagome! If I hear you have looked at her, touched her, or spoken to her in any way, then I will be back with my excuse to kill you. I warned you. You're lucky that Kagome's a nice girl, she wouldn't wish death on anyone – not even you… but keep on going the way you've been going and you'll push her too far. She won't ask me to hold back next time. The next time I punch you your head will fall off your shoulders – you got that?!"

"And then you'll be just as guilty of murder as she is." Was Denji's cold reply.

"You just don't know when to shut up do you!" Inuyasha could contain his anger no longer and hit Denji so hard around the brow that the man slumped unconscious to the ground, a battered and bruised mess despite Inuyasha being on his best behaviour.

Inuyasha pulled a disgusted face and wiped a bloodied hand on his clothes. "Asshole." He muttered, before turning back and heading towards the well house. Hopefully that would teach the bastard for messing with Kagome. Now it was up to Kagome and her family to get the man out of the house.

^_^

The group looked up as they saw Inuyasha trudging out of the trees towards them. Kagome spotted the blood matting the knuckles of his right hand and her heart jumped into her throat as her body jumped out of Sango's embrace. "Did you-"

"No." he answered shortly before she had time to finish. "Just bashed him about… nothing deadly. Yet."

Kagome gave a shaky sigh of relief and slumped back down to the porch as Inuyasha came to a stop before her, arms folded and expression closed. "You have to tell someone." He said bluntly.

"But I already told you and-"

"No – I mean your family." He cut in. "You have to tell your mother. Denji spreads spiteful lies and rumours like an infection. If you leave it too long, he'll drug your mother into thinking all kinds of things about you. The sooner you tell her the truth, the better."

Kagome stared at the sparse earth under her feet, imagining how she would do just that. How did you tell a mother that her new boyfriend had molested her daughter? It sounded easy… _just say it_… but dealing with the aftermath would be the hard part. Dealing with her mother's questions, accusations and disbelief. There was no proof other than her word… would her mother believe her?

"She won't believe me." Kagome whispered, with meaning. "She won't. She love's Denji so much she'll go along with anything he says. She's blind. I want to tell her… but she doesn't trust me anymore."

Sango shook her head forcefully. "That's impossible. How could a mother not trust her daughter?"

"It's pretty easy when a man starts brainwashing her." Miroku pointed out.

"You have to tell her now. The longer you wait the less likely she'll believe you." Inuyasha told her seriously. "The sooner you tell her the sooner Denji will leave – and I'm sure you want him to leave just as much as me – if not more!"

"I know… I know…" Kagome breathed and pressed her hands over her face in despair. She'd tell her mother. There was no way around it. She had to. "I'll tell her in the morning, she'll be asleep by now."

"As we should be." Sango said, standing up and giving them all a meaningful look. They all traded looks over Kagome's head and started to head back inside Kaede's hut, leaving Kagome to some time alone with her thoughts. Inuyasha was just moving past her when her head reached out and caught the material of his hakama. He looked down to see her still staring at the ground as though it wasn't there. He waited for her to speak, which took a surprisingly long time. "What, Kagome?"

She started at the sound of his voice, as though suddenly remembering she was holding his clothes. "How…" she swallowed and tried again. "How bad is it…?"

Inuyasha shifted away, making her release his clothes so he could sit down beside her. "He's unconscious, lying on the ground outside your house as we speak. Well… actually, not as we speak, because as we speak, he doesn't exist yet in a way… not for another five hundred-"

"You didn't cripple him or anything?" she asked uncertainly.

He rolled his eyes. "No. Just punched him. I held back."

"Good." She sighed. "I thought you were really going to kill him."

"If he does it again I _will _kill him." He said with such complete seriousness that it scared her. "He had no right to touch you like that. He has no right to take over a family he doesn't look after properly. Forget what I said before – don't cherish having a stand in father, not when he's a complete prick like this guy."

She laughed lightly and slumped against his side, her head resting against his shoulder. The action took him by surprise and he sat stiffly for a moment before forcing himself to relax and awkwardly slide an arm around her shoulder, not sure if it was the right thing to do. It turned out ok, seeing as she shifted closer and clenched her fingers in the folds of his haori. "My hero…" she murmured with a light smile. "You always look out for me."

Something about what she said caused him to stiffen and stare off into space. She felt the change in him and frowned, wondering what was wrong. Suddenly he detached himself from her side and stood, refusing to meet her questioning gaze. "I'm tired…" he said simply, looking around for a decent tree to sleep in. "I'm going to bed – you should too. You need to get up in the morning to go home."

"Oh… alright…" she tried not to sound to dejected as she rose to her feet and slowly made her way to the drape covering Kaede's doorway. She looked around to whisper goodnight to Inuyasha… only to find he was already gone. She sighed and went back inside to unroll her sleeping mat for the night.

^_^

On the roof, Inuyasha stared up at the starless sky morosely. The clouds were cast over for the night, blocking the view of the heavens, but while his gaze was up there, his mind was elsewhere.

A hero complex… was that what they called Kagome's loyalty to him? If so he was majorly screwed…

If the only reason she stood by him, cried for him and took care of him when he was injured was because she was infatuated with this hero thing… then it was temporary… and one day it would wear off. Infatuations and obsessions were like that. Would she start to fall out of love with him when she met someone stronger? Someone like Sesshomaru? Or even… ugh… Kouga? The wolf was strong, and faster than Inuyasha. He'd sometimes had to save Kagome when Inuyasha had been to busy fighting to save himself.

Had it already started?

He'd already let her down too many times. Failed to be fast enough to get to her in time – let her get injured in a fight – sometimes he himself had been the cause of her injury. He'd let her down… would she start to drift away from him because of that?

Would… would the wolf become a more enticing prospect of a companion?

Inuyasha shook himself mentally and shifted on the thatched roof of the hut. He couldn't believe he was actually taking that bastard's words to heart. He should know better than to believe a liar like him…

Although… what he'd said had hurt, and there was often nothing more painful than to be told the truth… to have your eyes forced open to something you didn't want to see. Back when he taunted Kagome when they'd first met… or even when he'd all but shadowed Kikyo upon meeting her… he'd told the truth countless times, knowing that it would hurt more than lies, because there was no denying the truth.

Was that the case with Denji? Was he telling the truth…? He struck Inuyasha as the type to capitalise on people's feelings – finding the fear and zoning in on it.

Inuyasha growled and shifted again. No, it was a ridiculous thought to even dream of believing such a two-faced coward. He would _not _believe it. Kagome wasn't hat kind of girl – he knew the feelings she had for him were strong – whether or not it was love, he wasn't too sure yet. But he wasn't about to ask.

Though, there was a thin line between love and infatuation… and Inuyasha, of all people, couldn't even begin to recognise where one ended and the other began.

Did she love him…?

Or was it just infatuation…?

^_^

Kagome pulled herself out of the well with a grunt of effort, the ladder helped here since Inuyasha wasn't around to help pull her out, but it was still quite hard pulling herself over the rim.

For a long time she slumped with her back against the wooden structure, trying to summon the courage to step out of the well house and into her home. She'd been gone two nights and one day now… how would her family react to her now, after parting on such bitter terms?

A large part of her wanted to just duck back into the well and pretend she'd never come back… but the smaller part of her senses was in control, telling her to pick herself up and go back inside that house. She had to stop being childish and face her fears.

And what if she lost to her fears? Well… that was a risk that she couldn't avoid. The only leg she had to stand on was that she was right, she was the victim and Denji was the liar. She had truth and good on her side… Denji just had her family. Which was stronger?

Kagome drew in a shaky breath and stood up, pulling her bag over her shoulder and climbed the steps to the doorway of the small well house. She hesitated for only a moment, before pushing it open and stepping out into the cool day outside. The sky was overcast with grey clouds… nothing unusual about the weather. The house looked the same, as though it was just any other day she was returning from the feudal era…

Except today she felt sick with fear.

She tried to calm her nerves, telling herself that it was ok, it was just her family! She couldn't be scared of them – they gave her unconditional love! Somehow, these thoughts still didn't succeed in comforting her and she moved across the path, heading for the front door.

As usual, it was unlocked and open and she stepped in, wondering if anyone would be awake this early in the morning. It was around half past six after all… usually the house didn't wake until around eight or even nine on a particularly lazy day. 

But she knew they were up the minute she stepped into the hall – she could hear gentle voices coming from the kitchen. Her determination slipped a little, but she firmly slapped it up again and set down her bag beside the shoe rack, fleetingly noticing that the shelf with Denji's shoes was broken.

She moved through the hall and once more found herself hesitating to go on. She decided to just stop thinking and fearing then and there… she stepped into the doorway of the kitchen and looked in.

Denji was sat at the table with a black and blue pace, puffed up from the beating he'd received. Her mother was tending to his wounds with a damp cloth that she had been dipping in a bowl of water on the table. Souta was hovering, as though he was guarding the first aid kit, sitting next to Denji at the table. Grandpa, was yet again, no where to be seen. Where was he anyway?

The thought was lost on her when they all looked up at her, and for a long time nothing was said as they all stared at one another. Kagome's eyes were on her mother alone, pleading silently with her and any gods that she'd neglected that this wouldn't turn nasty. She darted a look to Denji and couldn't help but feel a surge of grim victory at the wounds on his face. He was bleeding from a graze on his cheek… it was enough to give her a smug glint in her eye.

Her mother must have noticed it.

Slowly, Mrs Higurashi lowered the damp cloth to the table and straightened to look across at her daughter. Her expression was closed and opposing. "I think…" she sad slowly. "We need to have a little talk, Kagome."

The air seemed to be getting thin and Kagome had trouble taking in enough oxygen. She suddenly forgot how she was supposed to put her plight across… all she could think about was how much trouble she was in.

"You sent Inuyasha…" Her mother was speaking in a slightly jerky, dangerous tone that Kagome had never heard before. "To make an unprovoked attack on Denji… how could you do such a thing…?"

"I didn't send him to do anything!" Kagome protested at once.

"Then why did he suddenly show up in the middle of the night and leave Denji bloody and unconscious in front of the house – we only found him half an hour ago!" Her mother yelled. "He could have killed him!"

"I told him not to kill him!" Kagome shouted back, before realising her mistake. That was just as good as admitting she'd sent him in the first place. "I mean – I tried to stop him – he wouldn't listen to me-"

"Souta. Go to your room." Mrs Higurashi suddenly snapped at her son without looking at him.

"But I haven't done anything-"

"Go!" Mrs Higurashi turned a hot glare on him. "I don't want you to hear this."

Souta shoved away from the table, angrily. "It's not like the neighbours can't hear either." He grumbled, shooting Kagome a dirty look as he brushed past her towards the stairs. That look nearly felled Kagome… out of all the people in her family, she couldn't stand the thought of Souta hating her for this…

Mrs Higurashi waited until the door to his room had slammed shut before speaking. "You have got a lot of explaining to do, young lady. I see now that you've been telling the truth the whole time."

"What?" Kagome blinked at her mother in shock.

"About what you said you do in the feudal era…" Denji's voice was slightly slurred, his eyes closed against a headache.

"You really do fight demons, don't you? You really do make a living out of it. Inuyasha really is the thug that contends with these demons – despite your attempts to make him a shining star in our eyes." Mrs Higurashi glared at her. "What kind of monster that can just beat a defenceless man into a concussion?! That is not the kind of person Souta should be idolising! Not the type of person you should be devoting your time to! Do you understand where this could lead to?! He's violent Kagome – don't you see?!"

"Yes – alright – he has trouble controlling his temper and he's like superman in the strength department – but he's a good person!" Kagome cried in his defence. "If you got to know him you'd know that he wouldn't hurt Denji without a good reason!"

"But he _did _hurt Denji for no reason!" her mother snapped. "And you associate yourself with this kind of boy?!"

"He was only defending me!"

"From what?!"

"From him!" Kagome jabbed a finger at Denji, glaring with all her hate and terror pouring out of her in waves. "He's the one who's turned this family against each other – he's the one who's been bullying me little by little every day! He's the one who is driving me away!"

"The only one tearing apart this family is you, Kagome!" Her mother shouted. "Why are you doing this to us?! Denji has done nothing to you!"

Kagome clenched her fists, beginning to tremble, she looked at Denji with desperation. "Tell her! Tell her what you did to me! In the cinema!"

Mrs Higurashi snapped a look on her partner, frowning in confusion. "What is she talking about?"

Kagome managed to drag the last dregs of her courage up to speak… but her voice was shaky and uncertain. "He was… he was touching my knee…!" Her mother turned a shocked look on her, mouth slightly agape. "That's why I ran away…"

Denji looked blankly at Kagome, the annoyance clear on his face, but also mixed with confusion. He was a very good actor. "Oh yes… I seem to recall your dog friend saying something similar before he beat me to a pulp."

Kagome scowled at him. "What?"

"He said I'd molested you. I'd touched your ass, not your knee." He frowned. "He said that he was avenging you for touching your behind."

"He never… I didn't tell him you touched my ass… I told him you touched my knee!" Kagome stared in confusion before realisation snapped in her mind. No… he was twisting it all over again. "I told him you touched my knee! Nothing else! He must have slipped up – I told him it was my knee."

"No you told him it was your ass!" Denji snapped back. "Now you're coming here telling us a different story – if you're going to lie to us Kagome-chan, at least try and keep them in order!"

Kagome gaped at him. "He never said anything about my ass! You're lying!"

"No – you're the one who's lying! What have I ever done to you to deserve this kind of abuse Kagome-chan?" he frowned at her. "I've never lain a hand on you – how you think you can just make up this absurd story is beyond me!"

Kagome struggled for coherent thoughts. He had this planned out so much better than her… she didn't have a chance in hell of out talking him. She turned to her mother with pleading eyes. "Mom – you gotta believe me – he's lying – please! Don't believe him too – he's duping all of you! He's making out to be a really nice guy – the perfect man but he's not – it's all an act to hide his true nature-"

"I don't believe this." Denji griped with irritation.

"He hates me – he's trying to tear us all apart!" Kagome ignored him. "Please, you have to believe me – you're the only one left…"

Her mother snatched doubtful looks between her daughter and her fiancé… who was she going to believe? The daughter she knew and loved? Had raised and protected for the last fifteen years? Or the new man she'd only known for a matter of months.

Her expression changed and resolved as she looked at Denji. She'd made her decision. She turned back to Kagome with a patient look on her face. "I think… the well has been a bad influence on you. Getting mixed up in all that violence and blood shed has done something to you… you're not the girl you used to be."

"_Mom_!" Kagome shrieked, nearly falling over as she ran forward and gripped her mother's sleeves. "Don't do this to me! You have to believe me!"

Her mother turned her face away, as though embarrassed or ashamed of her. "You've been under a lot of stress… stress no teenage girl should go through. I don't know what you have against Denji, but you can't take out your anger on him. You can't let Inuyasha take out his anger on him either…"

"_Mom_…!" Kagome breathed, feeling her legs give out and she crumpled to the floor before the older woman

"I'll call someone to come by some time next week to seal the well properly. I won't have you going back there. No more running away or fighting demons. I don't want you to see Inuyasha again, or any of your friends. No doubt they're all just as bad as Inuyasha… damn… I never thought that boy would be such trouble…"

"You can't… Mom – you can't seal the well!" Kagome begged, forgetting her dignity and pride as she gripped her mothers apron. "You're asking me to cut off a piece of my life – I can't do that!"

"I have to. It's for you own good." Her mother responded calmly, though the underlying distress could be seen in the slight tremble of her chin. It appeared to be hurting her mother just as much as it was hurting Kagome.

Kagome pushed away from her, staggering to her feel with a broken gasp, she shot hate fuelled glares at both her mother and Denji as she backed away to the door. "I hate you! I hate you both! I can't believe you'd do this to me!"

She ran straight out of the kitchen and bolted up the stairs to her room. She locked the door behind her, all the while feeling the breathless sobs choking her throat and the unshed tears blurring her vision. She ran to her closet and pull out a large bag – larger than her usual yellow one. Immediately she set about her room, grabbing her _real_ necessities. Many, many sets of clothes, shoes, pictures, albums, books. She didn't waste time of trivial luxuries such as her music, her hair styling equipment or any packets of food.

She'd have all the food she needed in the feudal era. 

She angrily swiped her tears away as she stuffed all the clothes into her bag. If her mother had the obscenity to chose between her boyfriend and her daughter, than Kagome was well within her rights to choose between her family and her second family. Kagome's mother had lost out. Kagome was leaving, and this time she wasn't coming back.

"Kagome!" the handle of her bedroom door rattled, but didn't open against the lock. Her mother started banging on the door instead. "Kagome – open this door right now! What are you doing in there!"

"Go away!" Kagome yelled, in full rage. "I hate you! I can't believe you'd choose to believe him over me! I'm your daughter – your own flesh and blood and you choose a total stranger!"

"You're not thinking clearly these days Kagome!" Her mother was still tried to battle the door. "Open this door – we need to talk!"

"We just did talk!" Kagome struggled to zip the bag up over its bulging contents. "Just leave me alone!"

"No – I love you – I won't let you destroy yourself and your life like this!" Her mother cried, there was a desperate edge to her voice that made Kagome pause. "You're angry that I brought a new man into the house without consulting you and now you're saying he's abusing you – I'm sorry but that's a little hard to believe! He's a teacher, Kagome! They do checks on teachers all the time – they'd never let him teach if he was the kind of person you say he is! You're wrong – and I'm sorry you're angry at me and him, but you can't do this to us!"

Kagome clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out in pain and betrayal.

"Don't push me away Kagome!" her mother called. "I love you – don't tear this family apart anymore that it has been! Please!"

A long silence stretched out before her mother spoke again. "Let me in… Kagome…"

Kagome hesitated a moment, before she slowly turned and moved to the door to pull the lock back and turned the handle to pull the door open. She looked up at her mother in mixed anger and shame. 

Mrs Higurashi looked past her to the bag on the bed and swallowed. "Were you just going to run away?"

"You chose Denji. I choose Inuyasha." Kagome said in a quiet voice.

Her mother sighed and moved past her into the room to sit on the bed. She patted the space beside her, but Kagome didn't move to take it. "Look… I promise you, I won't seal the well. I understand and respect that you have a life built there as well and keeping it from you is like cutting off an arm I suppose. But treating Denji like this has to stop. I'm sure when you allow yourself to get to know him then you'll like him the way Souta does. We can be a proper family again. Your hate for him is unwarranted…"

"No it isn't…"

He mother shook her head. "Kagome, sit with me, please?" She waited for her daughter to slowly move across to her and slide down onto the edge of the bed, a few feet away. "I don't want you going through the well at all until you make amends with Denji. I hate seeing you this way… it hurts me… please try to understand that I want you to be happy here – and once you are – you can travel back in time as much as you want – though just be wary of Inuyasha, ok?"

Kagome closed her eyes against a wave or remorse. Her mother was refusing to believe her. She was being told the truth, repeatedly, but she wasn't opening her eyes. Trying to convince her that Denji was corrupt wasn't going to work. Going through her mother to get rid of Denji was hopeless… "Fine. I lied. And I promise I'll try to get to know him and like him from now on."

"Really?" her mother sagged in visible relief and a small smile graced her lips. "I'm so glad… the sooner you get to know Denji the sooner you can go back to seeing Inuyasha."

"Mm." Kagome nodded with a tight expression.

Her mother squeezed her shoulder and walked out, shutting the door behind her. Kagome didn't relax after she'd left…

There was no way she would ever get to know Denji. No way she would ever like him. There was no way that she would even _try _to like him. He was a bastard and Kagome knew it. But seeing as her mother wouldn't believe Denji was anything but a human angel, she would have to find another way to get rid of him…

And another thing was certain. She was not going to forego visits to the past just for her mother and Denji. And she certainly wasn't going to prevent Inuyasha from visiting whenever he pleased…

Denji was_ not _going to rule her…

AN: I guess the story is close to coming to a close soon… I hope… then I can get back on with life Exchange. 


	11. Compensation and Discoveries

AN: Sorry it's been a while, just been a little busy lately ^_^ And I'm having trouble with Kikyo… as it stands this minute – is she dead? Or is she alive? I'll read the manga translations tomorrow and find out…

****

Father Figure

Compensation and Discoveries

"What the hell happened?" Inuyasha demanded snappishly as he trailed after Kagome along the sidewalk. She was refusing to acknowledge him in any way beyond the odd passing glare. "Didn't you talk to your mother – why isn't Denji gone yet?"

Kagome struggled to keep her emotions in balance as she looked both ways and crossed the street, Inuyasha mooched after her, still on his irritable role. "What happened Kagome?! I beat the crap out of that guy so he would leave – why is he still in that house?!"

"Because!" she snapped.

"Because what?!"

"Because he just is!" Kagome clenched her fists in her cardigan. "Mom didn't believe what I said. She doesn't think Denji would molest me. And because of the way I've been acting around them both lately, they think I'm just making it up to get him kicked out."

"Has it ever occurred to her that you might just be acting strange _because _he's messing with your head?" Inuyasha ground out in a forced patient tone. "Maybe I should go kick her ass too-"

"No!" Kagome whirled on him, bringing them both to a stop on the pavement. "No more kicking ass! The last time you kicked ass you got me into trouble. My mother thinks you're a violent, aggressive half-wit now! You really helped a lot Inuyasha!"

"What was I supposed to do?!" he growled. "He touched you the way lovers do – you don't do that kind of thing unless you're a couple or a Miroku! And Miroku's harmless if you think about it. Denji is poison!"

"I know." Kagome turned to start walking down the path again. Inuyasha caught up quickly.

"So what do you plan to do next, carpet girl?"

She ground her teeth and fixed a glare into the bushes beside the pavement. "I can't convince Mom… and my behaviour _is _tearing the family apart… so I'm going to stop."

"Stop?" Inuyasha froze, causing her to walk on ahead heedlessly. "What are you talking about? Stop what? Stop fighting back? You're just going to give in to him?"

Kagome opened her mouth to speak before she felt his hands grab her shoulders and spin her around to come nose to nose with the furious boy. "You _will not _give in to him Kagome! If you just give up and let him make those advances on you then I _will _kill him and I _will _drag you back to the feudal age with me no matter how many times you sit me and I will break the goddamned well so that you can _never _put yourself out like that again!"

Her expression melted a bit, softening to appreciation that she had someone like Inuyasha to fall back on, no matter the situation. His face was livid and his hands were squeezing slightly too hard, but the concern he showed was unbelievably genuine… God she loved him… "I know you would. But that's not what I meant. I just meant that I would stop trying to get rid of Denji through my mother. There is more than one way to fight back."

"Another way?" His grip lessened and his expression switched to confusion, his anger ebbing away just as quickly as it had come. "What are you planning?"

"I don't know yet…" Kagome shrugged a little lost. "I could tell the police, I could tell Dad, I'm sure they'd all believe me. Either way Denji will end up being taken away – thank the lord. But I won't."

"What?!" His anger surged again. "You stupid cuss!"

She firmed her stance slightly and glared at him. "If I go to someone else and winge about my problems and have Denji taken away and done for molesting then imagine what it will do to the family! Souta and Mom love him to kingdom come – having the police take him away will break their hearts – and even worse – they'll hate me for it. Denji is tearing the family apart and I will not let him break us all apart completely in his final moment. There has to be another way."

"We could always…" Inuyasha shrugged slyly. "You know… make him have an accident…"

Kagome stared at him. "We're not talking about bed wetting here are we?"

"It would be an awful shame if he were to just… I don't know… walk off a cliff? Run into the pointy end of Tessaiga? Or my fist?"

Her glare came back as she turned and stormed off again. "We are not going to kill anyone, Inuyasha!"

"Then what do you plan to do?" he asked again, following her at a distance of a few feet. "Denji has your entire family hostage. You can shoot him down in flames, but that may run the risk that it'll bring your family down too. Personally, if I were you I wouldn't give a shit. I'd shoot him down and watch them all burn."

"Well, I'm not like you." She said, not unkindly. "Believe it or not, I love my family."

"Don't we all?" Inuyasha grumbled, moving to walk beside her. "So are you just going to put up with him now? Because if that's the case then you know what I'll do to him."

"I know." She sighed. "Just give me time to think. I want to get rid of him without hurting my family too much. If they lose faith in him then it'll hurt less if he gets taken away. So I just have to make them lose faith."

"And how long will that take, rug?"

"As quickly as humanly possible." She said with determination. "I will not let him marry my mother or be a father to Souta – and he won't be my oppressor."

"That's just the coward's explanation." He snorted with contempt. "You're too chicken to fight back."

"That's not it!" she snapped.

"Then what is it?"

"I told you!" she gave an exasperated sigh. "So far Denji hasn't done anything really bad! All he's done is give me a few weird looks and said hurtful things – but that's no more than what you usually do."

Inuyasha snapped a surprised look on her, unable to speak for a few moments.

Kagome didn't notice. "Well… that and molest my knee – but that isn't quite the same as rape now is it?" she sighed and looked up at him. "I don't have proof… Denji might not even get prosecuted by the police for what he's done so far. Making digs at someone isn't an arrestable offence. And touching my knee… he might have thought I was my mother… I mean – it was dark so he could have been mistaken. We have very similar knees, me and Mum."

"You're making excuses for him." Inuyasha growled. "That's pathetic."

"It's being realistic!" she snapped back and looked up at the building they'd arrived at. "We're here, 'Yoko'." She told him frostily and went on ahead of him into the building where her father lived.

^_^  


Mr Higurashi looked between one teenager and the other, staggered by the almost electric atmosphere that had been bred between them. Last session they'd left happy and contented, assured that they could deal with their troubles…

What the hell had happened?

Kagome was squished up at one end of the sofa, infinitely more interested in a note pad/calendar that sat beside her on the table at the end of the couch. Yoko was scrunched up at the other end, chin rested tensely in his palm as he flexed those fingers with nail extensions on the smooth leather of the arm rest. If he wasn't careful, he was going to leave scratches.

"Ok…" Mr Higurashi shot another wondrous look between the pair before shaking his head and getting back to what he planned to do that session. "How was your weekend, Kagome."

"It sucked." Was the blunt reply.

Mr Higurashi curbed his urge to correct her use of language, but under the circumstances, being authoritative and contradictory to her wasn't going to help. "Ok… And yours Yoko?"

"It blew."

Mr Higurashi rolled his eyes discreetly, seeing as they both avoided looking at him and each other. Before they started this session they needed to get comfortable, it wouldn't work if they were all tense and guarded.

"Right. I need more ice." He discreetly nudged the already brimming bucket of such a substance under the table and out of sight. "I'll be back in a minute or two."

More like half an hour. It was best if he went out the room and left them to their own devices. Hopefully by the time he came back they'd be talking to one another. There wasn't much else to do in that room other than talk…

A long silence stretched out after Mr Higurashi had left. So long that Inuyasha couldn't take it anymore and stood up. "I don't have to bear this crap. I'm gone."

"_Sit _down!" Kagome snapped, not even batting an eyelid as he crashed to the ground, instead she just watched the lamp on the table before her that jumped slightly as the ground shuddered. "You are going to seat yourself back on this couch and you are not going to leave me alone. Not after all your griping on the way here!"

Inuyasha grunted as he pushed himself up and started to pace. His eyes soon fell on the pad left on Mr Higurashi's seat. "Heh… looks like he's already classed you as unstable." He picked up the pad and leafed through it. "Ooh… crazy stamped all over here in big red letters. Kagome is a carpet… yadda, yadda, yadda… Kagome needs to get out more… blah, blah – oh! Interesting – confused over sexuality… oh… that's me…"

"Jerk faced idiot." She grumbled, loud enough so she was sure he heard.

He dropped the pad with a slap on the table and turned to her angrily, obviously having enough of her barbs. "Well maybe I wouldn't be such a jerk if you took my advice and stayed away from Denji! You're just letting him walk all over you – you should let me kill him!"

"That's your solution to everything!" she shouted angrily. "Something's blocking the road – bring out Tessaiga! Some mosquitoes buzzing around your head – bring out Tessaiga! An enemy – no matter how weak or strong – better bring out Tessaiga! That tree's blocking our view of the sunset – bring out the big sword! The pillow isn't fluffy enough – bash it a few times with Tessaiga and see if that helps!"

"Are you mocking me?!"

"No! I'm insulting you!"

"Well I'd like to see you take on three thousand pounds of demon on a good day and win!" he stomped over to glare down at her.

"I have – and I've won!" she rose so he couldn't intimidate her. Pity he still towered over her. "I've taken on Naraku and done more damage than you ever could! I seem to remember that _I _was the one who blasted his whole body into oblivion! The most you ever did was lop off his hand – and even that did more harm than good!"

"Only because you were aiming for the head and missed completely!" he shouted back. "You're so lame at fighting that _I'm _the one who has to save _you _every time we run into trouble!"

"That's not true!" she huffed. "Sometimes it's Kouga who saves me!"

That recent, rather annoying feeling bubbled up. He decided it was unspeakable anger – not fear. No, never fear. He was _not _afraid that Kagome would abandon him for Kouga. "That wimpy wolf would probably drop you carelessly if he had his way!"

"He's never once dropped me – give him some credit – he is a full Youkai!"

"So he's stronger than me, is that it?!"

"Well if you didn't have your beloved Tessaiga then I'd like to see your chances in a fair fight with him!" Kagome yelled, aware that she could have just stepped over the line just then. The look on his face was enough to confirm it. He looked betrayed. She quickly tried to search for something to make up for what she'd said. "Um… I mean… that isn't-"

The door opened and Mr Higurashi came stalking back in with a bewildered expression. "I could hear you two shouting from all the way down the hall – what's the matter with you two?"

The two teenagers fell into a sheepish sort of silence at being scolded by the man. "Sorry," they both mumbled.

"I thought you two were friends?" He raised an eyebrow.

"_Best _friends." Kagome corrected, darting a glance up at Inuyasha who still seemed irritated. 

"So kiss and make up already." He prompted and they both froze. "Well?"

"Kiss…?" Kagome echoed.

"Make up?!" Inuyasha snorted. "Not with that stuck up cow."

"That's my daughter you're calling a stuck up cow." Mr Higurashi gave him a faint glare that had him rethinking his use of words.

"It's ok Dad. Inuyasha's native tribe considers cows as holy creatures. Sticking up cows especially so." She shot Inuyasha a withering glare. "I've learned to regard them as compliments."

"Still. You had better make up within the next thirty seconds or I'm adding a bonus fee to both your parents. One, two, three-"

"Mom'll kill me – it's expensive enough as it is!" Kagome cried.

"Four, five, six, seven…" he continued counting with a mild shrug.

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's forelock of hair and yanked him down to press a swift, formal kiss on his cheek. "I forgive you." She said primly and released him.

It took him a moment to get over his initial shock. "Forgive me?!" he snapped. "What the hell did I do wrong?!"

"You want me to make a list?!"

"FIFTEEEN," Her father broke in loudly. "Sixteen, seventeen."

"Alright, alright – I'm sorry I said those things!" she burst out. "I didn't mean them!"

"You don't mean that!" he accused. "You're just saying that because you're gonna get fined if you don't."

"No – I really do – I upset you…" she trailed off into a small voice. "And I'm sorry…"

He watched her intently for a moment for signs of deceit, but found none. He shrugged and looked away indifferently. "Whatever."

"And… thirty." Mr Higurashi finished counting and smiled. "Now sit down, both of you."

They complied and soon they were back in their normal therapy positions. "Right – today I think we should talk about dreams!"

^_^

"And then the blue bird came and landed on my knee and told me that the clouds had turned into sheep and that the beavers had saved their damn from the termites. So then I lay back on the grass and fell asleep – then I woke up in bed!"

"Very nice Kagome." Her father smiled and jotted something down. "Perfectly sane, just like I thought."

She stuck her tongue out at Inuyasha who just rolled his eyes.

"Now… Yoko…" Mr Higurashi turned to Inuyasha with a slightly daunted expression… obviously he was expecting the worse. "Tell me the last dream you recall."

Inuyasha didn't particularly want to share the last dream he remember… not in front of Kagome – and her father no less – so he picked one from further back that was less… offensive. "Well, there I was having a great day, a Kitsune had fallen into a ravine and was dead. The girl from the future had professed her…" he glanced sideways at Kagome and back-stepped. "Had professed her… homework was done. But then it all went wrong. This big monkey came up to us and stole the jewel we were guarding – and then a big fat smelly wolf came along and stole the future girl who had just claimed her lo- her homework was done. Then my brother came along, wearing a dress and he stole my sword. And then the monk with a hole in his hand decided it would be fun to feel me up-"

"Ok," Mr Higurashi interrupted quickly. "Regarding that very abstract dream… I think what you have is a fear of losing control…"

"Dad, you genius you." Kagome rolled her eyes. His observation was already pretty obvious.

Inuyasha looked offended anyway. "What a load of crock and bull-"

Once more Mr Higurashi found it necessary to interrupt. "Well, that's all we have time for today. We'll conclude next time shall we." He stood up and started ushering them towards the door. But when they got there he found them looking up at him expectantly. "What?"

"What happened to the amusing little anecdotes?" Kagome asked. "Don't you have a patient who thinks he's a singing mongoose or something?"

"I do have patient confidentiality you know." He told her flatly.

"Looks like you only just remembered it." She rolled her eyes with a smile and headed out the door after Inuyasha who was already half way down the hall. "See ya later Dad – oh sorry!" she quickly apologised to the boy she'd bumped into and moved around him to trot after Inuyasha waiting for her with a mild frown.

The boy she'd bumped into stopped outside Mr Higurashi's apartment. "You Mr Higurashi?"

"Yes, can I help you?" The older Higurashi swept his gaze discreetly over the boy. At least nineteen with bleach white hair and so many facial piercings that it was hard to see much of his skin.

"I'm Yoko. Sorry I haven't been turning up… I was kinda embarrassed." The young man shifted to show his nervously.

Mr Higurashi stared at him a moment before slowly looking down the corridor to where Kagome was walking away with the first Yoko. For a few moments he was completely stumped. Then it all slotted into place. The dog ears, the canine teeth, the claws that were slightly to scuffed and sharp to be manicured extensions. The eyes that were as sharp as a wolf's gaze…

"Inu… Inuyasha…"

^_^

Kagome waved her goodbyes to Inuyasha outside the well house after standing for another five minutes arguing and listing the reasons why she couldn't return to the feudal era just yet. She had work to do… she had to show her mother that Denji was a bastard…

The spared a momentary glance at the setting sun on the western horizon, mostly hidden by the lapse of trees. The sky around was set in a light pink, just as she entered to front door, meaning tomorrow was bound to be sunny and pleasant. She fleetingly wondered if it would be a pleasant day tomorrow in the feudal era. Maybe not… it seemed that corresponding days were always exactly the opposite. When it rained and was generally grey in the future, it was always sunny and warm in the past. And vice versa. 

But no sooner had she stepped through the door than it hit her, literally. The blow smacked across the side of her face, catching her off guard and sending her staggering into the broken shoe rack beside her. For a moment she was too shocked and confused to register what had happened, until the pain stung her face and she looked up tentatively to see Denji setting down the tall standing lamp he'd slugged her with. His expression was neutral as he set it back in it's place and adjusted the shade so it was neat again, before looking down at her disparagingly. "All's fair in love and war. Now we've both been smacked around."

"You… h-hit me…" a timid hand raised to her cheek to find her usually flawless complexion was rising with the showings or a nasty bruise… shiny and smooth to the touch and more than just stinging now. 

"Just a taste of what your Inu Hanyou did to me." He gestured to the plaster on his brow.

Kagome was still reeling from the shock that she barely emitted a squeak when he crouched down to drag her forward by the front of his blouse. "And if you dare tell anyone about this then next time I'll hit you so hard you're ancestors will be seeing stars. You won't know what hit you." He threatened, giving her a shake to draw a whimper from her. "Remember, I warned you. You will _not _tell anyone. Not your mother, not your brother and not your pet dog. Got that?"

He sounded so calm and casual it might have sounded as though he was asking her to do the kitchen chores. How did he do it…?

Kagome found her eyes faltered to his chest, unable to maintain the lock with that cool unfeeling gaze of his. She tried to be defiant, tried to show him she wasn't scared of him with fire burning in her eyes. But how could fire burn in her eyes when she really was scared of him. Terrified even. She didn't have a chance in hell…

"I'm glad we got that sorted." He released her and stood up. "Go to bed now. In the morning when your mother sees your face, tell her it was Inuyasha. Or at least tell her that you were with him in the Sengoku era fighting demons. You can see she won't believe otherwise."

Kagome stayed crumpled on the broken shoe rack mutely… she wanted to lift her chin and floor him with an amazingly witty or feisty reply. Tell him to go stick his head where the sun didn't shine and find another girl to try and intimidate and good luck to him. So many insults and justified speeches clawed at the tip of her tongue… or more like at the back of her throat. She wanted to unleash the full force of her latent powers on him, whatever they may be. Show him she would _not _be pushed around by a mere mortal man like him. Not when she contended with abominations such a Naraku…

She hated him from the pit of her heart and for the briefest of moments she wished Inuyasha would come storming through that door and shove Tessaiga through Denji's chest, just like they'd discussed he shouldn't. She didn't care. But that moment passed as she realised how helpless and alone she really was right then. Her mother wasn't home, the car was gone and Souta was still round at his friends house. For some reason her grandpa still hadn't turned up yet… She was alone here with Denji.

Then she found herself pathetically _thankful _that he wasn't trying anything more degrading than just hitting her.

She inched her gaze up to his face again and swallowed. _I **hate** you_, she mentally seethed and found the last few words her mouth was capable of sounding. "You won't get away with this…" but it was a quiet voice and sounded like the squeak of a frightened mouse who knew it's days were numbered with the cat… he'd get bored of playing with his food soon.

"Go to bed." He said again, in that neutral tone. "And think about your options. I'd be careful what you decide if I were you, Kagome-chan."

Her will was crumbling under his incredible presence… and she hated herself for it… hated herself more than she hated Denji. How could she be so weak?!

"Go. Don't make me tell you again." He said, with that hint of threatening as his gaze flicked towards the lamp.

Fumbling, Kagome got to her feet and all but ran up the stairs into her room. She shut the door, locked it and looked around her room as if searching for help. She knew he wouldn't bother her again. He was too controlled for that. But she still felt like she was teetering on the edge of a gorge, ready to slip over the edge at any moment.

God help her… what did she do?

She couldn't turn to her mother… that was out of the question. The stupid woman was blind. Kagome was slowly allowing that pang of sympathy towards her mother seep away… to be replaced by pity. Stupid woman…

__

Stupid Kagome. She corrected herself as she slid bonelessly onto the bed, feeling the tears sting her eyes, and her face contorted in pain as squeezing her eyes shut stretched her cheeks. She was a carpet… pure and simple. When she'd been younger, she'd thought that if she'd ever been caught in this situation then she'd be sure what she had to do. But now, being in this situation, she was lost.

Who could she go to? Who would believe her? Denji was the perfect gentlemen… the only person who believed her was Inuyasha – and so far, his efforts to 'help' her had led her to this. Her other friends believed her, and being more rational in mind than Inuyasha, perhaps they'd be able to help… but they couldn't do much on their side of the well.

"Weak, stupid bitch…" she mumbled into the bed spread. "Inuyasha was right… I can't look after myself… I'm so stupid… so, stupid… he's just one man…"

She really didn't know what to do. Tell the police…? The thought frightened her more than reassured her. But what was even more frightening was the simpering little twit she was turning into.

God, she hated herself so much right that moment…

^_^

The household was asleep. There was no one awake at this hour evidently. Inuyasha leapt silently up into the tree outside Kagome's window, and, respecting her privacy, decided to knock on the window before barging in like he usually did.

There was no answer. Perhaps he would have waited longer, been more patient, but there was no time to loose tonight. As silently as he could so he wouldn't wake any of the other residents, he hooked three claws under the lip of the window and drew it upwards to make enough room for him to slide inside. The room was dark, and he could clearly see Kagome's form tucked up quietly into bed. Well that was all well and good, but they had a mission to see to. Beauty sleep could wait.

"Kagome?" he stopped by the bed and shook her shoulder gently. To his surprise she didn't murmur in stirring sleep, or shuffle down reluctantly into her bed… instead she rather sharply shrugged him off, with the complete reaction and reflexes of someone who was fully alert and awake.

"Kagome, stop messing around we have a job to do." He shook her more forcefully until she slapped his hand away.

"Go away," she snapped half-heartedly, proving she was fully awake after all.

"No I won't." he snapped and grabbed her shoulder more forcefully to try and turn her over to face him. She valiantly struggled to keep her back to him until he was forced to kneel on the side of the bed, grab both shoulders in his hands and force her onto her back. She struggled and gave a protesting, angry sound, and continued to keep one side of her face away from his view.

"Look, I know how you like to sleep in a warm bed, but we have a serious problem. There's an oni that just attacked Kaede's village – it's gone now but we're sure that it had a Shikon shard – Kaede sensed one. It's dwelling somewhere in the Musashi domain, but we don't know _where_ exactly. We need you to guide us to its home – and to point out the shard – this can't wait, it kidnapped three young women – Miroku and Sango want to save them."

He saw the look of warring indecision on the side of her face that he could see. Obviously she was torn between staying and saving the innocent girls. "Inuyasha."

He squeezed her shoulder to reinforce his side of the argument… she winced in pain. He hadn't squeezed that hard, had he? With a frown he tugged away the shoulder of her night shirt, disturbed at the way she didn't bother protesting, and further disturbed at the bruise that stretched along the smooth curved of her shoulder, in line with the side of her face she was hiding. At once his other hand caught her chin and jerked her head to the other side. His fingers tensed when she winced again and he saw the reason why.

It looked worse in the dark… just a black smudge that blossomed from her eye, down her cheek and trailed off at her jaw, only to resume on her shoulder. He stared for a moment, quelling the urge to grab her and forcefully demand an explanation. He'd only left her a few hours ago and this was how she looked now?

He could feel her form stiffen under his hands, she was waiting for his reaction, preparing for his outburst. It was hard, but he managed to control the murderous urges. "_What… happened…?" _he ground out slowly.

"I…" she swallowed nervously, blinking up at him. "I fell."

"Don't give me that shit!" he hissed, having to release her to bury his claws in the bedding so as not to hurt her. "You did not fall!"

"I fell into the shoe rack…" she said again. "After… after Denji hit me…"

"With what? A table?" he snarled, immediately pulling away to stomp towards her bedroom door. His intent was obvious and Kagome didn't hesitate to do the ethical thing.

"Stop – sit!"

The weight around his neck dragged him to the ground with one fell crash, winding him and leaving him straining against the spell. He wouldn't be stopped this time! Kagome wouldn't convince him that Denji's pathetic life was worth saving – he'd warned the bastard – now he intended to keep his word! He heard Kagome moving off the bed to run to him, but he was already on his feet and staggering towards the door again, his hand closing over the handle.

"Sit!" Kagome cried again. His hand slipped off the door knob and he slammed against the carpet once more, face down. Kagome crouched down beside him, her hands hovering over his back, unsure whether to press him down still or comfort him. "You can't kill Denji! It's murder!"

"Why are you defending him?!" Inuyasha managed to push his upper half off the floor through sheer determination and strength alone, despite the spell working at its full. "He hit you!"

"Keep your voice down!" she hissed, but she sounded more frightened than angry. "If Denji or Mom wake up I'm dead!"

He stopped straining his weight on his arms as the spell wore off… but he didn't move. He just stared at her in slow realisation. "You're scared…" it was unbelievable. Feisty little Kagome reduced to the timid mouse beside him.

"Yes!" she gasped. "And you would be two if a big man knocked you to the ground with a lamp! And if you were weak like me that is…"

"You're not weak – stop thinking like that!" he shifted to face her, his plan to kill Denji in his bed temporarily forgotten. "You're stronger than this!"

"Then why am I so scared?" she whispered and sat back on her heels, lowering her head to hide the tears in her eyes. "If I was strong and clever I wouldn't… wouldn't…"

She trailed off and Inuyasha continued to stare at her, for once, not completely flustered by her tears. "You were planning to let this slide, weren't you?" he stated quietly, the anger gone from his tone. "You were going to let him get away with this."

"No!" she snapped her head up to look at him. "I'd never let him get away with this! Never!"

"Then what were you planning to do?" he growled, tilting his head in question. "Sit here in the dark and wait for all the problems to go away? And I thought you were pathetic before."

"I don't know what to do… I just don't…" she slightly turned away from him. "It's like my brain won't work… or I'm paralysed… and you're right – I'm weak and pathetic. I disgust myself, you know. I hate this… I hate being so weak I can't _do _anything to help myself!"

"Don't hate yourself, that's even stupider."

"Stupider isn't a word." She corrected automatically.

"I don't really care, Kagome." He snapped. "How much do you want to bet that Denji is trying to make you doubt yourself, rather than scare you? Maybe he's doing both. But if you start blaming yourself you just play into his hands. And if you do that then I really will think you're stupid and your self-pity will be well deserved."

Kagome sniffed and glared at the ground as new tears began brimming.

"But that's not going to happen. Is it?" he said with a gentleness that belied his previous tone. He pushed her chin up with a finger, though she refused to meet his eyes. "You won't hate yourself… not for Denji. You'll be Kagome, care-free and happy… for me?"

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his steady gaze and saw his point at last. Self-pity wasn't going to get her anywhere. "I'll get him… soon… if not for me then for you as well." She agreed with a small smile.

"Good." He dropped her chin and sat back on his own heels. "Now then – I seem to remember coming here for a different reason other than knocking some sense into your tiny little brain and-"

He immediately cut short his speech as Kagome lurched forward to wrap her arms around his neck and hold onto him as if for dear life. He froze, at a loss of what to do, as she clung to him, taking shuddering breaths against his shoulder. "Thank you, Inuyasha." She mumbled against him drawing more sturdy support as she pressed closer to him.

For quite some time Inuyasha sat there with his hands hovering over her back. _Way to put me on the spot, Kagome…_ he thought, flustered. He half didn't want to encourage this type of behaviour, but that didn't stop him noticing the damp patch forming on his haori from her tears. The reaction was belated, and more unconscious than anything else… his arms slipped around her slight form and held her closely, gently.

"No point crying." He cajoled her slightly, internally rolling his eyes at the sappiness of his own voice. He coughed and cleared his throat as he set her back more firmly. "Like I said, I came to bring you back home – we really need you this time. And don't give me crap about Denji killing you if you come with me. Because I won't let him hurt you again-"

"I love you so much!" she lurched into his arms again and held on tight. Only when she felt him stiffen did she realise what she'd just blurted. Her face heated up as her stomach clenched with cold fear. She forced herself on with the most natural sounding voice she could manage. "You're such a good friend."

She'd sounded so convincing, she'd almost fooled herself for a moment. She loved him… but as a friend, or so it seemed. She prayed to god that he would think that. She wasn't prepared to deal with the awkwardness of confessions right then. Not when Kikyo still lurked in the forests of the Sengoku Jidai with the chance of taking him away from her.

She felt him pat her shoulder tentatively. "Of course I am." He said, in a good impression of his usual arrogance… but he sounded strained. Kagome winced inwardly. What had she done…? What on earth was he thinking right then?

She pulled back with a smile, trying to act as normal as possible. "I'll come with you, it's only the right thing to do. Denji can't keep me from helping three innocent girls out."

"Damn right he can't." he stood and helped her to her feet. "You'll remember to be strong right?"

"I _am _strong." She said in a determined sort of way. It brought a slow smile to both their faces.

"Well then get dressed and let's get going, time waster." He slipped out the window to give her the privacy she needed. He waited at the foot of the tree, silently working out a plan in his head. He was interrupted before it was fully formed as Kagome tiptoed out of the front door, yellow bag on her back and viscous bruise on her face. He cursed under his breath at the sight. "Come on." He beckoned her to follow him to the well house and waited for her at the door to pass through before him.

He cast one backward glare at the house. Denji was lucky they had more pressing things on mind right then… but when this little distraction was over with – there was no getting out of punishment for hitting a young girl. He wouldn't get away with hitting Kagome like that.

That had been the last straw.

AN: Ok. that's all for now. I'll be back soon with chapter 12 (I had no idea the story would be this long).


	12. Let's Set the Record Straight

AN: I suppose this is where we finally make some progress towards Denji's demise. You all want him dead – and for the last time – no! Jesus Christ I swear you're all blood thirsty vampires. Worse than Inuyasha at this point! -_^

****

Father Figure

Let's Set the Record Straight…

Kagome staggered along after Inuyasha as they moved through the dark forest, heading for Kaede's village. They passed through the moonlit clearing before the Goshinboku tree, but after that, Kagome was having to depend on Inuyasha's superb vision. Though she'd always wondered about that… he was half human and half dog… neither species really had spectacular vision. Unless the demon side of the dog overruled that.

They arrived in the village before long, to find the rest of the group already waiting outside Kaede's hut. Miroku looked relieved to see them both. "Good, you brought her back then."

"We were beginning to get worried. You were taking quite a while." Sango stood from the porch, hefting hiraikotsu over her shoulder. She sent a mild smile to Kagome… which instantly vanished upon seeing the black bruise across half her face in the flickering light of the torch beside her. "Kagome-chan – what happened to your face?!"

Kagome smiled, a little embarrassed, as she self consciously ducked her head to allow her hair to curtain the bruise. "It's stupid…"

"It's Denji, that's what it is." Inuyasha growled, jerking her chin up forcefully and skimming her hair back behind her ear. "What are you to be ashamed of, Kagome? You aren't the one beating up kids."

"He hit you?" Sango gaped, before quickly growing angry. "For once I find myself agreeing with you, Inuyasha. Do _not _let Kagome go home."

"I don't plan to." He snorted as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I do have other people I love back there." Kagome rolled her eyes. "I have to go back eventually."

"But not any time soon." Inuyasha glared at her. She gave up, not because she didn't have the will to argue, but because she completely agreed with him. She didn't want to go home any time soon.

Sango shook her head angrily. "All men are scum."

Inuyasha and Miroku exchanged looks before the monk coughed and frowned. "You know, two such creatures are standing right here."

"What, you think you're exceptions to the rule?" Sango shot back.

"Maybe we should get moving on the trail of that demon then." Kagome interrupted before it turned nasty. They all nodded in reluctant agreement, shooting her worried looks every now and then, as if they didn't believe she could manage the journey with a bruise like that. It looked worse than it actually was. Sure it hurt, but she could still walk, shoot arrows and see Shikon shards. 

The trail was fairly easy to follow. The demon had been very large, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake like a train that had careened off course and hurtled through the forest, breaking down the trees in a more or less straight path. An hour's walking passed until they came to a mountain side with a cave half way up the slope.

Then they hit a slight problem.

Inuyasha and Kagome headed off heedlessly towards the cave where the demon had undoubtedly disappeared into, when they noticed Sango and Miroku were hanging back a little. "What's the matter?" Inuyasha scowled back at them.

"Little… sick…" Sango leant forward, her hands bracing against the rock surface, looking very green around the gills. Miroku managed to keep standing straight, but he looked just as ill as Sango.

"The evil… it's a little strong." Miroku said jerkily.

Kagome started to worry. "The only time we encounter evil this bad… it's with Naraku…"

"It's not Naraku." Inuyasha said shortly. "I don't smell him anywhere near here. Just a big, fat, sweaty demon."

"A strong sweaty demon." Kagome countered.

"A strong smelling, sweaty demon." Shippo chirped from Sango's feet.

"I… I don't think I can go on." Sango was crouching double, her eyes closed against the rising nausea. "It's too intense…"

Inuyasha glanced at Miroku who shook his head, signalling he was in the same condition, unable to continue. He sighed and turned back to Kagome who looked worried. "Guess it's just you and me."

"The evil in there is incredible…" Kagome whispered, staring at the cave entrance. "Those poor girls…"

"Well the faster we go in there, the sooner we get them out." Inuyasha started up the slope again, leaving Kagome to either hurry after him or get left behind. She chose to hurry after him, mindful of the loose rocks along the rising slope.

"Look after Sango, Shippo!" She called over her shoulder with a meaningful look at Miroku who gazed flatly back up at her.

Inuyasha was already entering the cave by the time she caught up with him. The entrance was to a tunnel that led down deeper within the mountain, getting darker the further it went. Though the tunnel was straight and not very steep, it still looked slippery and dark. Kagome automatically fisted a hand in the back of Inuyasha's haori, just to make sure she stayed on the path. "You can see in the dark right?" she asked in a hushed voice as they continued deeper.

"No, I was kinda hoping you could." He responded, slowing down as the light began to diminish completely. Kagome looked back over her shoulder, back the way they had come, and found she could no longer make out the silhouette of the entrance any more.

"I could have been tucked up in bed. Nice and cosy and warm. But no, where am I? In a stinky dark hole in a mountain, about to slip up and get covered in slime." She complained quietly.

"Well it was either this or get beaten again by Denji tomorrow morning for snoring too loud." He said in a sarcastically cheerful voice. "You made the right choice."

"My choices suck." She ground out. "Either get slimy or get victimised. Either stay in the future with my family and miss out on my friends here – or choose my friends here and miss out on my family."

"Here's another – which to choose? The mangy dog or the wimpy wolf."

She punched his shoulder softly. "Shut up – that's not even funny."

"What's funny is that you took that seriously." He sounded angry now, and she couldn't see his face to see his expression. "You think you have to choose between us?!"

"I don't have to choose – because there's no choice to make!" she hissed. "Kouga isn't mine to choose – just like you are not mine to choose – just like I am not yours to choose between Kikyo. You can't make choices between people, idiot! That's just mean."

He didn't say anything after that. Either he was sullenly unable to argue with that or he had plenty more fight within him, but he was holding it back for pride's sake. Being unable to see him in the poor light, she didn't know what he was thinking. Being unable to read him was becoming a problem recently.

"I think I see a light ahead." He finally broke the silence and moved faster, leaving her behind.

"Inuyasha!" she hissed, loosing her guide in the dark, but soon spotted the soft light ahead around the next bend and headed carefully towards it. She rounded the corner, stopping behind Inuyasha to look on. The source of the light couldn't have been natural… they were too far down for that.

They stood at the edge of a decent sized chamber. Barren, save for the alter like structure standing in the exact centre of the cavern… with the three girls arranged in a ring around it. Dead.

"We're too late…" Kagome whispered quietly.

Inuyasha didn't say anything to that, but stepped forward into the cavern, staring at the alter before them that glowed with the ethereal light. Kagome noticed his movements and frowned. "Inuyasha?"

"Can you feel it?" he asked quietly.

Kagome shuddered and nodded. "Evil. It's strong – it's unnatural." She slipped her bow from her shoulder, getting that tingling feeling she usually did before a battle.

"No…" Inuyasha continued towards the alter, still in his little trance. "It's power. It's incredible – can't you feel it?"

"I can – it's evil power." She said quickly, frowning at the alter. "It's all emanating from that thing. We have to destroy it."

"No – wait." He stepped over one of the dead girls and stopped beside the alter. A black iron dagger had been carefully arranged so it was lodged at least an inch into the wooden surface of the structure. 

"It's some kind of ritual." Kagome eyed the dead girls warily and moved around the edge of the chamber, keeping her distance. "The demon's probably trying to draw power… sacrificing innocent girls… it's sick…"

"We just stumbled on a gold mine." Inuyasha said quietly, watching the dagger. "The power in this thing… it's… it's overflowing…"

Kagome stared at him, apprehension dawning on her. She voiced her concern in her tone. "Inuyasha…" she said, with slight warning.

He ignored her and began reaching for the blade slowly, his intention clear. Break the seal on the alter and release the power… into himself.

His fingers came within an inch of the hilt when the whole structure exploded before him, throwing him back with the force of the explosion. He hit the cavern wall and slid down, rolling dazedly to his knees. It took a few dizzy moments to focus on the desecrated alter before turning an angry glare on Kagome who stood in the motion of just having fired the arrow. "Why? Why did you do that?!"

"What's wrong with you?!" she shouted back. "You were going to release it! What were you thinking?!"

"You destroyed all that power!" he yelled. "You wasted it!"

"It was evil!"

"It was strong!"

"You wanted it for yourself?!" Kagome yelled, in mortified shock and fear. "I thought you gave up that ridiculous idea ages ago! I thought you stopped seeking power like that!"

"I had!"

"Then why were you-"

"I don't know!" he yelled. They locked eyes as he seemed to remember himself and calmed down. "I mean… I thought I'd given it up…"

"What was that?" she demanded angrily, gesturing to the broken alter.

"It was so tempting…" he followed her gaze to the structure, still looking on with a lost sort of longing. "It was just so easy to reach out and take."

Kagome watched him with concern. "You're scaring me, Inuyasha. I thought you decided you didn't need to be all powerful to be strong. You'd lose yourself to it…"

"Well that was when I thought I would have to protect you forever." He said bitterly. "I can't protect you if I'm lost to my own power…"

"When you thought… you mean… you don't plan to go on protecting me?" her voice hitched slightly as she spoke.

He looked up at her, seeing her hurt for what it was. He shook his head, as if bewildered. "But you're not gonna stay with me forever… so what's the point in remaining this way for you?"

Kagome stared at him with a strange expression dawning on her face. "Is that it? You're just forcing yourself to remain this way for my sake?!" her voice rose with anger as she spoke. "I _told _you I don't care about that kind of thing! Be whatever you want – I won't stop you! Just please _stay the way you are_!"

"That's not what I meant-" he started angry but was cut of by a heavy cracking sound, followed by a rumble as the chamber started to shake. Kagome looked around slowly, arms out to steady herself and keep from falling.

Inuyasha heard the distant tell tale sound… the demon was returning… and with the powerful evil destroyed… it wasn't going to be a happy fluffy bunny that would be easy to defeat. "Shit!" he immediately moved to grab Kagome and tossed her over his shoulder, ignoring her protesting shout. "It's coming back – we have to leave!"

The chamber seemed unstable, it would have been a bad idea to stage a battle in there, or the tunnels around it. Kagome continued to beat his back, unaware that the demon was returning until she heard the distant roar… a terrible sound of pure fury and rage.

"What was that?" she squeaked.

"Demon.

"Move! Faster!" she now beat his back to speed him up. "I'm not gonna get squished by smelly demons – I still have to avenge myself!"

"Leave the avenging to me!"

"Why? You don't have any faith in me – so why should I trust myself to you!" she hissed angrily.

"Can we talk about this some other time?!" he yelled as he raced through the tunnel, heading up towards where the fresh air flowed freely. Slabs of the ceiling was cracking and falling like rain around him – it was pure skill alone that he managed to dodge them all. Judging by the cries and rumbling of thundering footfalls echoing around the tunnel, the oni wasn't too far behind now. It had their scent and was on their trail. And it was moving fast.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome had stiffened up in fear – her voice conveying her unease. "I see something back there!"

"Shut up – I can't fight here – the tunnels too narrow!" he ground out.

She gasped as he jarred her body whilst dodging more rainfall of rubble. He felt her cling her hands into his haori and hold tight. "Kouga…"

That same cold feeling wrenched his stomach again. He set his jaw and tightened his grip around her legs. She wanted Kouga to save her… well, that was her choice. Until then he'd have to save her as best he could.

He sped up phenomenally, and heard Kagome's shriek of protest as the walls blurred past. But it was getting lighter – and in no time at all he could see the cave entrance ahead. "We're nearly there!" he yelled.

"I can't see the oni anymore!" she yelled back. "That's good right?!"

"Maybe."

They burst out of the tunnel entrance and nimbly hopped down the slope of the mountain to reach level ground again. But Sango and Miroku were no where to be seen. Kirara and Shippo were gone with them wherever they were.

"They probably put some distance between here to get away from the evil." Inuyasha said, looking around.

Suddenly a light blow cuffed him around the ear and he turned with a snarl to Kagome who glared at him with more impressive anger. "YOU have a lot of explaining to do! What the hell did you mean by that jab about not being with you forever?!"

"Well you won't!" he growled back. "This alliance is only temporary remember! When you've gone back to live with your family – Denji free – I'll be alone again! So what would I have left to lose? Might as well go and get an upgrade!"

He received another box around the ear. "Stop that!!"

"That's stupid!" she yelled. "How can you be so thick! I've told you before that I wouldn't leave you – I _want _to be with you, Inuyasha! How can you doubt that?!"

"Because I'm just your hero right?!" he yelled back. "I'm not strong enough to protect you forever – you'll need someone stronger and when you find him you'll leave me!"

She gaped at him. "That is the most profound load of bull I have heard in my entire life!" she narrowed her eyes. "Where the hell did you get that ridiculous idea from?!"

"Don't think I didn't hear you whimpering Kouga's name back there!" he hissed. "You wanted him – not me!"

She stopped and blinked at him. "It's not what you think-"

"They always say that!"

"No – about Kouga!" she waved her hands frantically to apologise. "I said his name because I can sense him – he's-"

"Here."

They both whirled to the source of the voice. Kagome smiled slightly in greeting of a friend whilst Inuyasha tensed up. "Sneaking up downwind."

"Not intentionally." Kouga snorted. "I smelt Kagome in the area, so I thought I'd help her out. You're obviously trying to kill some sort of oni." He sniffed and darted a glance at the tunnel entrance. "Seems to still be alive."

"We haven't got round to the killing part yet!" Inuyasha spat at him.

Kouga ignored him, pushing past him on his way to Kagome. "What on earth happened to your beautiful face, Kagome?" he gaped in shock at her bruises. "Did that brute let you get hurt again?"

"He couldn't have helped." Kagome responded quickly. "He wasn't there when it happened.

"I would never have let you get into a situation where you could be injured, Kagome." He said seriously. Inuyasha was making choking sounds in the background.

Then it all happened too fast for any of them to really register. Kouga was the first to snap his head around, his invaluable intuition forewarning him, but nothing could have helped Inuyasha. The base of the mountain exploded outwards, just as Kouga swept Kagome into his arms and leapt away to avoid the boulders that were sent flying every which way. Inuyasha was less lucky, having been right beside the source, and disappeared under the rubble.

The oni emerged from the hole it had made and looked around, its huge spindly frame swaying slightly as it turned its elongated head from side to side to locate the enemy. His small beady eyes fixed on where Kouga held Kagome a short distance away, before its keen nose picked up the scent of the Inu Hanyou below him, caught in the rock fall.

Rapidly, long hooked fingers began picking up rocks and boulders, tossing them away like they were mere pebbles. After a few moments it uncovered the boy who stirred slightly in semi-consciousness, having just been crushed by one of the larger boulders.

"Inuyasha!" he heard Kagome scream his name as he was vaguely aware of his pain riddled body being heaved out of the rock pile and into the air by cold appendages.

That was it. Kouga had saved her, he'd failed her yet again and she'd found her new hero. He gave in with a soft sort of sigh and closed his eyes as the cold hard fingers began to squeeze his torso, about to break him in half. He couldn't be bothered fighting back right then, he felt too tired.

But he needn't have bothered. In the next moment he heard Kouga's battle cry and the fingers suddenly released him, allowing him to fall unceremoniously to the ground again. The impact seemed to knock some sense and awareness into him and he opened his eyes as his back arched in pain of having landed on one of the sharpest rocks in the vicinity. "Crap…"

Great… now he'd been so lame as to be saved by the wolf. He's just reached a new low in Kagome's eyes.

"Inuyasha!" She stumbled into his view, peering down at him with deep worry. "Inuyasha – are you ok? Talk to me!"

"I'm fine." He muttered thickly. He wasn't the last time he'd been crushed like this had been when a big fat peach man made of stone had jumped him. In the literal sense, not the other sense.

"You looked dead for a moment there." She seemed relieved he was well enough to lie about his condition to her. It wasn't that serious then. "Is your back ok? Your head? Did you break anything?"

"A few ribs…" he shook his head loosely.

"Does it hurt."

He paused before speaking. "It'll heal."

"I'm so relieved." She whispered, pushing back her hair behind her ears as she visibly relaxed. She watched him with grateful eyes that just as quickly started brimming with tears.

"Of for the love of… don't cry…" he groaned. "I don't look dead yet!"

"It's not that!" she reached out and flicked his ear angrily. "You doubted me! You thought I'd abandon you!"

"Kouga can save you better than me!" he hissed, more in pain than anger. "Why don't you go home with him?"

"He's left." Kagome said simply. "I don't care about him – he's not the injured one – you are!" she looked around the blood soaked front of his haori. "I have to take care of you…"

He watched her blankly for a moment, seeing her genuine anxiety at his condition and her worry. He sighed and turned his head away. "I'm sorry…"

"For doubting me?" she darted a look to see his face. He nodded glumly. "I promise I won't abandon you Inuyasha. Not for anything. You're my family too – and you know that I don't abandon family."

It couldn't have been a hero complex. Kouga was her hero tonight, and she'd already forgotten about him. It wasn't an infatuation… Kagome just wasn't the type of girl to get obsessed…

It could only be love. She overlooked his faults and saw past his body to see his heart. Obsessions would only be about his body, if not just his strength. Granted, sometimes she didn't like what was in his heart, but she still stuck by him. If it wasn't love and devotion that made her do that, then what was it? She always smiled when she saw him, despite the way he always scowled and snapped at her in greeting. She always worried when he got hurt, even though he usually cold-shouldered her concern. Why did he do that? She was like a flower… look how easily she wilted when she was mistreated to the extreme.

For once, his hand reached out deliberately and touched her uninjured cheek. It wasn't one of those actions he did by accident, or did without thinking. He thought about it. He should show he cared more often… otherwise who knows what kind of ideas she might be running off with. He didn't often think about bearing his thoughts and feelings… what if she thought he really didn't care. He didn't want to accidentally turn into another Denji to her. Cold, throwing barbs at her and not showing an ounce of kindness.

Her small, freezing cold hand closed over his on her cheek and she smiled warmly for him, despite the ugly bruise on her cheek. He turned his gaze away to some random boulder beside him… in fear that if he looked into her eyes too long she would see more than he was willing to show her. But he still allowed his hand to gentle cup her cheek, feeling her numb fingers stroking over his own. Despite his current pain… it was somewhat calming. They just stayed like that, expressing secret little emotions through that small gentle touch. No need for words. They were too clumsy, and they would always come out wrong. Kagome soon sighed as he dropped his hand. "How could you doubt me?" she asked again, gently, as if in disbelief. "You didn't have to freak out like that…"

"I wouldn't have freaked out if I didn't care enough." He said quietly. She looked down at him in surprise. But before she could make anything of it, he began to sit up, gritting his teeth in resistance to the pain. At once Kagome forgot the conversation and quickly reached out to steady him.

"We should go back to the village… maybe the others have gone back there already." She told him gently as they rose together.

He cast a sideways glance at the large oni a short distance away and snorted. "He did a bad job. I could have done a cleaner job."

"Of course you could." She said in a deliberately patronising tone, she smiled sweetly when he glared at her. 

He wasn't an open and affectionate person, she knew that. He wouldn't be like Hojo, and bring her gifts and shower her with praise and compliments. He wouldn't be like Miroku who would be forward with his feelings and his intentions. He was his own person… but that didn't mean he didn't feel things like the rest of them. His problem was that if he felt pain, he would bottle it up, lock down on it and leave it to fester. The same with doubts and fears. He'd ignore them, or at least try too, then before he knew it they would overwhelm him. Like bills in a way… if you avoid paying them, you end up hip deep in them anyway.

Maybe he felt that he didn't need to express any affection, it should have been obvious already. Why did he have to prove that he cared, when it was already enough for him that he _did _care. He didn't have to answer to anyone else's standards or expectations in that department.

"Denji did this, didn't he…" she said quietly as they leaned against each other as they journeyed back to the village. "He put doubt in your head that I wasn't loyal to you. What did he say?"

Inuyasha shrugged and chose to look at the path instead of her. "I didn't believe him. He said it was a hero complex. That you weren't being true to me. He said that you'd leave me the minute you found someone stronger."

"If you didn't believe it then why did you assume I would run off with Kouga and leave you for dead?"

"Because that's what I'd do to you." He shrugged seriously.

"Do you want another punch in the ribs?" she snapped.

"Joking!"

she gave him a warning look before turning her gaze to the path ahead. "Just as long as you don't go doing evil moments like back there and start seeking out ways to become the most powerful sorcerer in the world or something like that." She shook her head. "You scared me…"

"It wasn't my fault!" he defended. "It was seducing me!"

"Then why didn't it seduce me?" she shot back.

"I don't know? Because you're human? You've got miko power within you? You're female? I dunno… I just couldn't stop myself…"

"And you were thinking _I _was weak willed." She scoffed. "Just don't do it again. And don't doubt me again. And don't think I like Kouga over you – because I don't."

"Just as long as you promise not to just leave after all this is over."

"I promise." She smiled to herself with relief. Inside, she was glad that he wanted her by his side just as much as she wanted to be there.

"And you promise to keep fighting Denji – don't give in to him."

"I don't plan to."

"So we're agreed?" he looked at her seriously. "No more doubting… we know each other… we trust each other."

"With my life." She smiled.

He nodded in understanding and turned back to the path. Kagome rolled her eyes and leaned over to whisper in his ear conspiratorially. "That's where you're meant to say you'd trust me with your life too."

"But you already know I do. What's the point saying it?" he shrugged.

"Well how am I supposed to know you feel it unless you say it? I'm not psychic." She rolled her eyes.

He contemplated what she said.

^_^

The next day Kagome went home to face the music again. To tell her mother the excuse for her bruise… and her excuse to where she'd been last night…

She'd made Inuyasha to promise again that he wouldn't kill Denji. She had no doubt in her mind that the next time those two met, one would end up dead – and it wouldn't be Inuyasha. She said she had a plan that didn't involve killing… but somehow he didn't believe her.

So he went ahead with his own plan, to take things into his own hands.

He knocked uncertainly on the door of Mr Higurashi's apartment. It was strange… coming here of his own free will with no Kagome to make sure he didn't misbehave. He shrugged off the weird feeling upon seeing a familiar face as the door opened.

Mr Higurashi's expression changed from curiosity to slight annoyance upon recognising him. Inuyasha mirrored the expression. "Hi. I'm Inuyasha."

"I know."

"I… I have a problem…"

AN: Inuyasha with a plan? Well, it had to happen one day.


	13. What Happened to Grandpa?

AN: Here's the last chapter – sorry to kind of just fling it at you without warning, but nevermind. Slightly longer than usual to make up for it ^_^

And to whoever gave me that review about spamming (your penname escapes me) I don't know if you realise it, but I found that review rather condescending and offensive. I felt as though you were speaking to me in third person like I wasn't there and I don't see myself as having a false sense of security. I especially liked the part where you said 'The author checks his/her account to find that she has 700 reviews' that was obviously talking about me and this story, so why did you put the generic his/her part? 

You seem to be getting at reviewers who leave comments that have nothing to do with the story, but may I add that your review had nothing to do with my story?

And as far as I know there is no spam reviewing here. Most people have signed in to review and those who haven't have left their email addresses so I _know _that they're not the same people. You would have realised that if you looked through them. I'm sorry if it upsets you that you can't find your review because there are too many others, it just means that other people beside yourself read the story and reviewed. Not something to get bothered about. And why did you want to find your review anyway? Did you forget what you wrote? 

Next time if you want to leave that kind of opinion find a message board, and don't aim your annoyance at me or other reviewers.

****

Father Figure

What happened to Grandpa? (you all want to know, right?)

The swelling had gone down completely by morning, thanks to a few cold bunches of cloth that Kaede had tended her with. But it had done nothing to help the bruising… if anything, it all looked a lot worse now. It had changed from black and purple, to purple and yellow… blotchy and very painful looking.

What better way to greet her mother?

"I'm home!" she called after gathering her courage and opening the front door. At once she heard a flurry of movement in the living room as her mother apparently dropped the magazine she was reading and stormed into the hall. "And where have you been all night? I shudder to ask! We were worried sick about…"

Her mother trailed off as Kagome slowly turned to face her, trying to calm her rattled nerves. For a few moments her mother stared at her in shock. "What… what happened to your face?"

"Denji hit me." Kagome pointed to the standing lamp beside the door. "With that."

Her mother's brow furrowed slightly. But Kagome couldn't tell whether the woman believe her or not.

"Come on." Her mother steered her into the kitchen and gestured for her to sit down in one of the chairs. "I think I have some arnica in the first aid box…"

Kagome watched her mother's back reproachfully as she went fishing through the drawers for the white box that all the medical stuff was kept in. "Denji? Could you come here a minute?" Mrs Higurashi called suddenly as she found what she was looking for and turned back to Kagome to apply the cream.

Denji put on a good show of looking surprised and concerned when he saw Kagome's face. "What happened?"

"She says you hit her." Kagome's mother responded without looking across at him, she seemed tight-lipped and pale suddenly.

He snorted in response. "Oh not this again… I thought we'd passed this little Denji bashing stage, Kagome-chan."

"Don't call me that." Kagome said with only a slight waver in her voice. She couldn't bring her eyes up to meet his.

"This is ridiculous… you were fine when I sent you to bed. Are you mad at me because I sent you to bed earlier than your mother would? Did you deliberately do it to yourself so you could point the finger at me?"

"_You _did this to me!" Kagome snapped back.

"Where were you all night though?" he asked. "You were down the well again, weren't you? You got the injury there in a fight, either that or Inuyasha did it. We all know what a violent cretin that boy is."

Kagome opened her mouth furiously to correct him when her mother broke in angrily. "Denji – stop baiting her!" Kagome blinked in surprise at her mother… that was the first time she'd protested against him… but… "And you… stop being such an easy target, Kagome."

Kagome swallowed hard and looked down. Yes… that was all she was… an easy picking to be targeted by a brute like Denji.

Mrs Higurashi finished applying the cream to Kagome's bruise and straightened. "Either way… I think we all need to have a talk." She said curtly and walked out of the kitchen. "Follow me."

^_^

"I see… and so you're a Hanyou… from five hundred years ago… you came through a bone eater's well to talk to me, and when you're not eating and sleeping you're searching for Shikon shards and battling demons – one in particular called Naraku – a half demon like you."

"Right." Inuyasha nodded in confirmation.

"Does he look like you too?"

Inuyasha pulled a face. "God no! He's full of tentacles and spiders and all kinds of butt ugly stuff that he sheds now and then and calls 'off spring'."

"He's asexual."

"Yep."

"How is that possible?" Mr Higurashi's pad lay on his lap, forgotten as he stared at Inuyasha in disbelief. Inuyasha just shrugged. Kagome's father ran a hand through his short hair and shook his head. "And you drag my daughter off into danger like this as often as possible?!"

"Ye – no." The Hanyou stared at him uneasily. "Only little bits of danger! I protect her from serious harm!"

"You can't _always_ protect her!" Mr Higurashi shouted back.

"Yes I can!" Inuyasha snapped irritably. "I'll always be there for her – and when I'm not… she can usually take care of herself! She's as good as any miko when she has a bow in her hands!"

"I don't believe this-"

"You keep saying that-"

"And I'll keep saying it until I accept it!" Mr Higurashi yelled. "You've been lying to me – going by the name of Yoko to fool me – Why?!"

"Because… Kagome didn't want you to know about the well or me. She didn't want you to start worrying, so I played along." Inuyasha folded his arms angrily. "I would have told you straight out, but she'd sit me if I did that."

"Sit you?"

Inuyasha yanked his rosary. "She yells sit, I sit… well… actually I kinda make Inuyasha shaped imprints on the ground."

"How is that possible?"

"A spell?" Inuyasha shrugged again. What was so hard to believe about demons and spells?

"I don't believe in spells."

"I noticed."

"There has to be some kind of logical explanation." Mr Higurashi shook his head and stood to begin pacing. Inuyasha watched him move back and forth. "Demons… perhaps five hundred years ago there were many species of animals… maybe something happened between now and then that caused them to be wiped out, and so they no longer exist."

"No. Some still exist. I slaughtered a Noh mask not long ago in some metal construction area." Inuyasha told him. "That demon had been hanging around in some woman's home apparently."

"Spells… spells don't exist, it's all fairy tale and make believe." Mr Higurashi went on.

"Well if spells don't exist, how come I sit when she tells me to?"

"There's a theory in my line of work. Your subconscious conforms to a word command you may have received through hypnotism or something – and your subconscious obeys the command, even though your consciousness protests it."

"What?"

"Isn't that right? Kagome hypnotised you?"

Inuyasha sighed and ran his hands over his face. "Does Kagome know how to hypnotise? No. Why? Because she's a fifteen year old girl – not a brain person like you! All I know is that when this thing got locked around my neck, I have had to obey her sit commands since day one."

"Why would she be so cruel to you?"

"Because she's a sadist!"

"Tell me another!"

"She's a masochist"

"Inuyasha!" Mr Higurashi said warningly.

"Ok, ok… maybe it had something to do with the fact that I tried to kill her when we first met… she kinda got spooked by that…" he muttered, seeing the icy glare that shot his way. "But that's all in the past now!"

"I should hand you over to the police right now!"

"Why bother? I don't belong here – I'll be gone before any law enforcement of this time come and apprehend me." Inuyasha smirked in a cocky way. "Anyway, I came because I have a problem with Kagome and I need you to help me with a plan."

"What problem with Kagome?" Mr Higurashi stopped and narrowed his eyes.

"You know that step dad her mother is marrying?" Inuyasha said slowly, raising his brow in a hint.

"Yes…" Mr Higurashi answered just as slowly.

Inuyasha sighed, the guy wasn't catching the subtle hint. "He's a weirdo. At first we all thought she was imagining it – she said he kept staring at her and making rude comments. And then he felt her up in a dark room."

"What?!" Kagome's father stiffened in shock.

"Disgusting. He's about as old as you are too." Inuyasha clenched his fists as he looked back in anger. "Not only that, but last night he hit her so hard she has bruises all over her face and body."

"This…" Mr Higurashi stared at Inuyasha in shock. "How come no one has noticed before?"

"Her mother won't believe her. Denji keeps blaming me." Inuyasha shrugged. "Kagome's too frightened and crushed to do anything more now that her mother's shot her warnings down. I tried beating the crap out of the bastard but that didn't seem to help matters. So now I'm telling you."

"I don't believe this!" Mr Higurashi bore an expression uncannily similar to Inuyasha's upon hearing Denji's little deeds. "If he thinks he's going to get away with this, he has another thing coming!"

Inuyasha grinned. That's what he liked to hear. "But no calling the police."

"What?!"

"If the police drag that loony away then it'll tear the family apart. Souta will hate Kagome and me and her mother will be all mopey and heartbroken. Not that I care, but Kagome does." Inuyasha folded his arms. "I have a plan."

"Oh?"

"Get back together with Kagome's mother."

This was greeted by total silence.

"I mean," Inuyasha went on, "Kagome's mother wouldn't be so heartbroken then would she? And Souta wouldn't be lacking in a father figure and Kagome would then be living a parent that she trusts again."

"Inuyasha. That is the most stupid plan I have heard in a long time." Mr Higurashi grated out. "Not only am I happily engaged to another woman, but Ayame doesn't love me the way she used to and I don't love her the way I used to. That wouldn't work."

"I knew I probably should have thought that one through more…"

(AN: see? Wasn't a very good plan anyway, it _is _Inuyasha we're talking about here)

^_^

"But you told me before that you were lying." Mrs Higurashi frowned at her daughter sitting in the arm chair.

"Because he threatened to hurt me if I didn't say that." Kagome sent Denji a small triumphant look. She was taking a leaf out of his book, and whilst what she had just said wasn't the truth, it still reinforced her argument. "But then he hit me anyway, so I decided to tell you again."

"You don't understand, Kagome." Her mother was shaking her head with a troubled look. "These things only happen in broken families. I _know _Denji. I've known him for months before I brought him into the house. He's nothing but a gentlemen and he's been a good teacher for many years. I have never seen him raise his hand to a child or even raise his voice? What makes you so different that he would want to harm you?"

Kagome looked at the carpet before her. "I don't know. Maybe he's jealous."

"This is ridiculous." Denji muttered. He muttered that a lot.

"Jealous of what?" Her mother wanted to know.

"I don't know!" Kagome burst out. "You think I know how he thinks? You think I understand why he only does these things to me and no one else! You think it doesn't tear me up inside wondering and doubting about what's wrong with me? What makes me so different? What it is about me that he hates?"

"Kagome!" Her mother cut her off abruptly. "We need to stay calm here!"

"Why do you do these things?!" she demanded directly of Denji now. She didn't know for sure, but she reckoned it was being in her mother's presence that gave her the courage she needed. He couldn't do anything to her with her mother present, so she could say what she wanted without suffering any consequences. "Why do you hate me so much?!"

"Why do you hate _me _so much, Kagome?" he shot right back. "Why do you accuse me of all these disgusting things that I wouldn't dream of doing? Is it because I replaced your real father is that it?!"

"That isn't it! If that was it – I would hate Mari too! But I don't!" Kagome yelled back.

"Shut up! Both of you!" Mrs Higurashi broke in and they both fell silent, glaring at each other.

Eventually it was Kagome who broke the silence, turning to her mother angrily. "Who are you going to believe this time? Your new lover, who you've only known for three months? Or your daughter who you've known for fifteen years and has been beaten so hard she's bruised?"

A good question. One Mrs Higurashi wasn't certain how to answer. She didn't understand why all the accusations were flying. Ever since Kagome had seen Denji she'd been rude to him and avoided him at all costs. And now her daughter was saying terrible things about him… She'd only ever known Denji to smile and be kind and thoughtful. He'd offered to tutor Kagome in Maths and had brought nothing but joy to Souta. So why was Kagome refusing to acknowledge him as a family member.

But while Mrs Higurashi had seen or heard any real evidence to suggest that Denji was doing these things… she couldn't just ignore Kagome's pleas. Something was going on…

And while Kagome had been acting strange lately… she'd been acting that way ever since she'd come back from her holiday with her father… when she'd first discovered Denji…

All the evidence and reason pointed to Kagome as the liar… but she just couldn't quite believe that…

"I think this family… all of us… need to sit down and talk." That was the only solution she could come up with right then. "But… where's Dad?"

"He left a note on the fridge, remember?" Denji pointed out. "He said he was going to be out of the district for a while, at some kind of school reunion."

"Oh." Mrs Higurashi frowned and walked out into the hall, shutting the door behind her.

This left Kagome with Denji. Kagome looked up at him warily, her whole body tensed and waiting for his next move. He just gave a disparaging sigh and left the room by way of the kitchen.

Kagome's mother moved away from the door with a light frown. Nothing suspicious had just happened when she'd left them alone… but that didn't mean that nothing was going on.

^_^

And now what happened?

Kagome found her herself wondering after her mother had left. Did she believe her or not? Well anyhow, her mother wanted proof? Kagome was going to give her proof. Denji was too clever to make the mistake of attacking her verbally or physically as soon as her mother had left the room. He probably thought she could be listening in the hall for all he knew.

But Kagome hadn't missed the all-too-casual way he'd explained away her Grandpa's absence. No way was he at a school reunion. He would have left more than a note. He would have sat the family down, told them about it, before going into a lengthy history of the school and its pupils along with all the little adventures he got up to in the 'good old days'. He wouldn't have just left without a goodbye and a note on the fridge.

But then where was he?

Kagome didn't exactly know how to go about finding out, but she'd seen the movies and got a hint that. By now she knew that all clues to convict the guilty suspect were found in the bin. So she went straight to the waste paper basket in the corner of the living room and tipped out the contents.

And guess what she found? Among various pieces of Souta's homework that had been chewed up by the new dog, and a mouldy old banana skin… was a leaflet for Tokyo Old Aged Pensioner's Home, located in Tama. Kagome stared at the leaflet, the ink smudged slightly from being pressed against the moist banana. She opened it slowly and glanced over a few details.

The home had no phone… so residents could not call out to families.

"He sent Grandpa to an old people's home…" Kagome breathed. Actually, she didn't like the term Old Aged Pensioner… it was like telling them the same thing three times.

But this was it! This was the evidence she could show her mother and make her realise that Denji was not as squeaky clean as she thought!

She got up, clenching the leaflet tightly as she ran out of the living room, intent of finding her mother. She wasn't in the kitchen so she ran up the stairs to the bedroom where she hoped her mother would be clearing up. She didn't find her mother. She found Denji instead. She attempted to run out of her mother's bedroom but he was too fast for her. He'd seen the leaflet in her hand and had slammed the door shut so fast it sent a gust of air billowing through her hair.

"And what is that?" Denji asked calmly, pointing to her hand.

Kagome didn't answer. She looked around for some escape route, listened intently for sounds of her mother nearby… but she found and heard nothing. "I was hoping you could tell me." She said quietly in her timid mouse voice she acquired around Denji.

"Give it to me." Denji held his hand out.

"Even if I give it to you, you can't stop me telling her about this." Kagome gained some defiance as she looked up at him. "I already memorised the address. As soon as she finds out what you've done – that you've _lied _to her then she'll-"

"Then she'll do nothing, because I'll tell her to do nothing!" Denji snapped, "You are nothing to me, Kagome. I could just as easily have her send you to a boarding school. Then it would just be me, Ayame and Souta."

"You can't possibly think you'll get away with this?" Kagome backed into the wardrobe as he took a threatening step forward. But it was true. Denji couldn't overcome all these little problems. All she had to do was tell her father and she was sure that he would bring an end to this problem… maybe she should have told him about this sooner… "Even if you send me away to boarding school – Inuyasha will come for me! Even though you've sent Grandpa to an old people's home – all we have to do is go find him and he'll tell us what you did to him! You thought you could just shut him away from the world forever?! You thought you could shut me up?!"

"Shut up!" he backhanded her, hard, right against her bruised cheek. She yelped in pain and started to fall back as stars burst before her eyes, but his hand fisted in her shirt and dragged her back to her feet, pushing her hard against the shuddering wardrobe behind her. She gasped and desperately tried to push against his hands.

"Let go!" she grimaced.

"Give me the leaflet!" he demanded.

"I won't let you…" she struggled against his grip before sucking in another breath. "I won't let you rule me! She'll find out what you're really like! You can't hide something that ugly forever you pathetic little creep!"

It had taken all her courage to shout that, and it had earned her an even harder slap to her bruised cheek, but she felt better for saying it. The pain was nothing compared to the satisfaction of seeing his face twist in anger at her words.

"You'll pay for that!" he hissed angrily.

He really must have been dangerously insane if he thought he could get away with beating her in her own home. Because he didn't get away with it…

Kagome heard footsteps and muffled voices on the porch below, while at the same time heard footsteps in the hall outside the bedroom. She almost obediently went limp as Denji threw her to the floor, too far gone with anger to hear what she heard.

As his boot clad foot came down to crush her ribs, three things happened. The window shattered to their left and a blur of red and white streaked through it. The door to the hall opened and Kagome's mother stood frozen in the doorway. And as if in slow motion, Kagome heard someone knock heavily on the door downstairs.

In milliseconds Inuyasha had saved her – thrown Denji across the room and had a fully transformed Tessaiga poised against his neck. Mrs Higurashi cried out for him to stop as Kagome slowly sat up and looked towards the stairs through the open door as the knocking continued on the door. "Open up! It's the police!"

It seemed a frozen moment, only disturbed by the insistent knocking downstairs. Inuyasha didn't pull back from his threatening hold on Denji, but he didn't move to complete the beheading either. Mrs Higurashi hovered by the door for a few moments before crouching down to help Kagome sit up.

"Let me do it." Inuyasha hissed angrily, not taking his eyes off Denji who was still too winded to speak, let alone breathe with the grip Inuyasha had across his torso.

"No…" Kagome said with a hesitant look between her mother and Denji. "Don't kill him…"

"Get… off me… freak…!" Denji gasped out.

Inuyasha pressed him harder against the wall and pushed Tessaiga against his neck, biting the flesh and drawing a slither of blood against the blade edge.

"Stop it!" Mrs Higurashi shouted. Inuyasha stopped, but he didn't pull back in the slightest. Kagome had never seen him this livid with a human before…

"Mom…" she glanced up at her mother, waiting for the final decision. If anyone was going to decide, it would be her.

Mrs Higurashi looked down at her daughter with deepest regret before pulling Kagome up with her to stand. "Go let the police in… tell them… tell them he's up here."

Kagome stared at her mother for a moment before shooting Denji and Inuyasha a concerned look. She followed the sound of the knocking to the front door and opened it slowly.

"We're here for a Mr-"

"He's upstairs." Kagome said without hesitation and stepped back to allow the three officers into the house. There was a fourth man, and only until she looked up did she realise it was her father. He'd been the one to call the police. 

Wordlessly he opened his arms to her and she fell into them, unable to hold the floodgates together anymore and broke down crying. She was still crying as they escorted Denji out of the house and down the steps to the police van waiting below. She tried to ignore the hissed insults and barbs he threw at her as he was dragged away… but it would be the last time she had to deal with them…

It felt like an enormous burden had been lifted off her shoulders. 

Inuyasha was gone when she entered the house again. He was probably still around, but just keeping out of the way. She didn't particularly want to deal with him right then… she didn't really want to deal with anyone at all, but she was forced to speak with her mother and her father… and later on… things would have to be explained to her brother.

Mrs Higurashi kept apologising for doubting her, but the woman was rattled at the transformation she'd witnessed. The man she'd loved and trusted had turned into a monster the moment her back was turned… it was enough to shake the strongest of them to the core. 

Kagome didn't accept her apologies.

The same way Souta didn't accept Kagome's reasons and excuses for Denji's removal from the house. They chose not to tell him the full story… he was young and he didn't need to be shaken as much as Mrs Higurashi… but the result was that he blamed Kagome now. 

Grandpa was brought back from the home, but he wouldn't forgive anyone. He'd been gone nearly a week, and it had taken seven days for them to realise he was missing. He wasn't pleased either with any of them, especially not his daughter whom he blamed above all others for getting engaged to a bastard like Denji.

They hadn't been a broken family before… but now they were all in ruins.

^_^

Inuyasha sat leaning against the well, absently scratching the rust off his sword with a handy rock. He wasn't sure if it was such a good idea… since rust was all the sword seemed to be made of. He could probably do with making an appointment with Toutousai some time to have the blade repaired whilst in this untransformed state…

He heard a thud in the well behind him and his heart gave an answering thump against his ribs. He internally told himself to calm down… it was only Kagome returning from her time, no need to go getting weak at the knees.

But this wasn't just Kagome returning on after an average short break in her world. This was Kagome returning after two weeks of alone time with her family. He'd taken the hint and left after making sure Denji got taken away by the men in black.

He hadn't seen Kagome since.

Almost hesitantly, he set down the rock he'd been holding and turned in a crouch to lean over the side of the well. At long last he found himself looking at a normal scene below him. She'd stopped wearing the baggy, figure concealing clothes and was back in her school uniform. The bruising had gone completely from her face and she looked up with a smile when she saw him. "You gonna help me out or what?"

He jerked out of his thoughts and reached down to grip the bag on her back and lift her out of the well with it. When he'd set her down on the ground beside him she gave him that sour look she usually gave him and echoed something she often said in the past. "You just can't bare the thought of taking my hand, can you?" she said it with humour though as she brushed down her clothes and started moving slowly in the direction of the village. "Any rumours of shards?"

"None."

"Oh good!" she smiled back at him with relief. "Does this mean I can take some time off in the hot springs?"

"Sure."

"I mean the future is good for indoor plumbing and all, but nothing beats a hot spring." He watched as she ran her hands through her hair, in an effort to straighten the tresses out after her trip down the well.

"Right."

"You're doing that thing again."

"What?"

"Giving me one word answers."

"Sorry." 

He looked away from her slightly. She cleared her throat and shook herself as if dispelling a bad feeling that had just settled over them. It was a moment before he looked back at her as she spoke again in a quiet voice. "Are you coming back to the village?"

The Denji voice, he decided it was to be called. All this cheerfulness was forced… the effort to make everything seem normal and natural was all an act. He didn't move towards the path to the village, and so neither did she. "How is… everything back in your time?" he ventured uncertainly.

"Oh…" Kagome smiled as if a little embarrassed and turned her gaze to the forest floor. "You know how I said the family wouldn't survive in one piece if the police came and dragged Denji away?"

"Yes…"

"Well. We didn't." She gave another one of those smiles and started down the path to the village. He had no choice but to follow.

"I told him not to call them." Inuyasha said as he traipsed after her. "Your father I mean. But we decided eventually it was the only way…"

"It's ok." Kagome chirped. "You were both right. And if you hadn't arrived when you had… then my mother would have witnessed Denji stamping on me… I don't think she would have taken that very well. She'd probably be more traumatised than she is already."

"Kagome…"

"Souta's holding a grudge against me." She still smiled. "But it's just a grudge… I'm sure it'll fade eventually."

"Kagome, stop it." He hooked a finger in the waistband of her skirt, bringing her to a sudden halt. She turned to face him, twisting out of his reach.

"Stop what?" the smiling continued.

"Stop smiling. You're obviously faking it." He said with a frown. "You don't have to pretend everything is alright you know."

She gazed at him a moment more before her face seemed to change before his eyes… she suddenly looked weary and troubled. "I'm sorry… it's just…" she sighed and gave up, turning to follow the path again.

He caught up to walk alongside her, a difficult task since the path through the trees was really only for people walking in single-file. "Denji hasn't troubled you has he?"

"No." She sighed again. "But he's left us all in tatters, just as I expected. I won't talk to my mother. My brother won't talk to me. And Grandpa won't talk to any of us."

"It'll pass."

"In time… I suppose…" he saw her chew her lip. "But… it'll be a while to heal all these wounds… but I'm not ready to forgive Mom for being so… untrusting…"

"Give it time then." He was just full of good advice today wasn't he.

"I know." She inhaled deeply. "Dad referred us to a family psychiatrist. He couldn't do it himself since he had to go back home last week… he wouldn't have done it anyway… having our real father give us therapy would be too personal I suppose."

He watched her face intently. "You ok?"

"No." she frowned lightly. "But I will be." She added with a hint of hope in her voice. "We'll put it behind us eventually I guess. I found out his motives by the way."

"Oh yeah?"

"It somehow escaped notice that Denji has been married before." She told him. "He had a wife and a ten year old son. He had a bad break up with his wife after his son was killed in a car accident. So three years later he gets engaged to my mother who has a ten year old son as well. I guess he was trying to remake his old family… he shipped Grandpa out of the house and intended to either make me run away or send me to a boarding school. Then it was just supposed to be him, Mom and Souta. That's why he was always so nice to Souta."

"What's happened to him now?"

"Denji? He's in prison for assault, child molesting since I'm still underage, and some other offences that I can't tell you."

"Can't tell me?" he narrowed his eyes. He wanted to know everything, being kept in the dark was not an option.

"Oh – I can't say because I can't remember how they were worded. But basically he's been done for home wrecking I suppose. And for sending Grandpa to an old people's home against his will and telling everyone he was senile, so they'd ignore him when he asked for a phone call."

"It's a real mess than."

"Yep." She smiled genuinely. "But like I said. We just need time and we'll all heal eventually."

She jumped when his hand closed around hers. She looked down briefly in amazement before looking up at him. He didn't seem to be making a big deal of it, even though his heart was beating just that little bit faster than normal. "And in the mean time," he told her casually. "You can have your ultimate form of escapism five hundred years in the past where your problems don't even exist yet."

She smiled shyly and curled her fingers around his. "I guess."

"And no one's angry at you here. They all miss you. And I don't think Shippo holds any grudges against you… unless you forgot to bring those crayons."

"Oops." Her eyes widened as she remembered what she'd forgotten.

"Nevermind." He shrugged as he pushed aside some stray branches with his free hand. "He's a pretty simple-minded creature. If you distract him with chocolate long enough he'll forget to ask about them."

"Thanks." She smiled again and cast her eyes downwards with a flush as she leaned against him and slipped her free hand across to grasp his arm closest to her lightly.

"For what?" His heart squeezed slightly as if she'd grasped that instead of his arm. Stupid organ… who needed it anyway?

"For just…" she struggled for the words to describe how grateful she was. "For just understanding."

He smiled ever so slightly in response, feeling that warm feeling he got every time he received her gratitude. "You're welcome."

The end.

AN: I suppose now I can dedicate more time to my other current fics. But now I can start a few new stories as well (just to slow everything down again ^_^) Bye!


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